St. Luke’s School
Reading List
For Students Entering
Fourth and Fifth Grade
Dear Fourth and Fifth Graders,
You probably already have ways that you like to choose the
books you read – following a friend’s recommendation, browsing
library shelves, asking Ms. Eisman, visiting a bookstore, surfing
amazon.com, or asking your teacher. Another place to get ideas is
from The St. Luke’s School reading list.
The reading list is meant to help you choose books to read
during the school year or during vacations. The list is organized by
genre. If you like a particular kind of book, it is probably best to
start with that genre or to choose another one that you are curious
about. You may find a favorite author listed. Please feel free to
read any titles written by this author, not just the one listed. Every
title also has a description of the story to help you decide if the
book is right for you.
For other ideas, you could also visit the New York Public
Library, Bank Street Book Store, or Books of Wonder. These places
also have lists that cover a variety of children’s literature awards
like the Newbery Award or the National Book Award. All of these
places, awards lists, and our school reading lists can all be found
online.
No matter how you choose your books, what is most
important is to develop a habit of reading. So, find a favorite spot
that you can make your own, curl up with a snack, and open
yourself up to a world of magic, knowledge, and wonder. There is
nothing quite as delicious as a good book.
Fantasy
Into the Land of the Unicorns (series)
Coville
Fantasy and mystery combine when Cara is forced
to flee Earth, clutching her grandmother's amulet
and carrying a message for the unicorn queen.
The Book of Three (series)
Alexander
The Last of the Really Great
Whangdoodles
An assistant pig keeper becomes a hero in this
Edwards
exciting tale based on Welsh legend and mythology.
The first of five books in the series.
City of Light City of Dark
Avi
Avi takes two standard forms, the novel and the
comic book, and combines them for a unique
reading experience. As Asterel searches for the
token that will save the world from freezing, she
races against time and the evil Mr. Underton.
With help from an eccentric professor, three
children locate the last of the great Whangdoodles
and grant his heart’s desire. What’s a
Whangdoodle? Read the book to find out.
Half Magic (series)
Eager
Jane, her brother, and her two sisters have amazing
adventures in time and space as a result of the half
magic created by a strange old coin.
The Search For Delicious
Babbitt
The Thief Lord
Cornelia Funke
Gaylen meets a 900-year-old creature called
Prosper and Bo are orphans on the run who
wooldweller among other creatures when he sets
hide out in Venice, where they meet a
off to poll the kingdom for the prefect definition of
mysterious character who calls himself the
the word delicious.
"Thief Lord." The Thief Lord has secrets of his
own and soon the boys are thrust into
Tuck Everlasting
circumstances that will lead them to a
Babbitt
What would happen if you could live forever? Ten- fantastic, spellbinding conclusion.
year-old Winnie is about to find out in this clever
and thought-provoking tale.
The Devil’s Storybook
The Devil’s Other Storybook
Babbitt
Twenty original stories about the Devil’s exploits,
successes, and failures in Hell and in the world
above.
The Merlin Effect (series)
T.A. Barron
Even if you don't like "present-day" fantasy, this
series is engulfed in enough ancient mystery and
magic to satisfy anyone.
The Wizard of Oz (series)
Baum
More than the MGM musical, these tales tell the
other adventures of Dorothy, Tin Man, Lion, and
Scarecrow.
The Wish Giver
Brittain
What happens to three citizens of Coven Tree when
the stranger, Thaddeus Blinn, offers them whatever
they wish for only fifty cents?
Just Ella
Haddix
In Just Ella, Margaret Peterson Haddix puts a spin
on the traditional Cinderella tale of the glass
slippers. Ella gets the prince, but it that what she
really wants? In the end, as in all good fairy tales,
our heroine and hero do manage to live happily ever
after--but with a twist.
Wishes, Kisses, and Pigs
Hearne
Be careful what you wish for" is the lesson that
resounds (a bit too loudly) throughout this offbeat
fairy tale set in Tollivers' Hollow, "said to be a
peculiar place, even a perilous place."
The Secret of Platform 13
Ibbotson
Eva Ibbotson is best known for her kids' fantasies funny, wry, and just a little off-kilter. Her universe
is full of wizards and witches, princes and magic.
If you liked Harry Potter, try this.
Redwall (series)
Jacques
The Blue Sword (series)
McKinley
Finn Family Moomintroll (series)
Jansen
The Prince of the Pond
Napoli
Harry Crewe, an orphan girl who is bored with her
Brian Jacques uses the full force of his stunning
sheltered life in the remote orange-growing colony
storytelling talent to unravel the mystery and
adventure that unfolds in these tales of Redwall, a of Daria, discovers magic in herself when kidnapped by a native king with mysterious powers.
land of talking mice, warring rats and badgers.
The first in a series of offbeat but well-known
fantasies, translated from the Finnish, about
mythical beasties including Moomins, Snork
Maiden, Moominpapa, Snufkin, and Sniff.
Orwell’s Luck
Jennings
An unusual twist on the story of the frog prince,
the tale is full of humor, with more information on
the physiology and behavior of frogs than one
would expect to find in a fantasy and a hero whose
deeds are guaranteed to maintain readers' interest.
Harry Potter and the Sorcceror’s Stone
When a 12-year-old girl discovers an injured rabbit (series)
in her driveway, she adopts it, nurses it back to
Rowling
health, and names it Orwell. Then the magic starts. A few people think these are good books.
The Volumes of Chrestomanci Vol. 1&2
Jones
Wren to the Rescue (series)
Smith
In this multiple parallel universes of the Twelve
An orphan child named Wren, best friend to a
Related Worlds, only an enchanter with nine lives is kidnapped princess, undertakes to rescue the
powerful enough to control the rampant misuse of princess from her wicked uncle's dungeons.
magic--and to hold the title Chrestomanci. If you
liked Harry Potter, try this.
The Ordinary Princess
Kaye
Unlike her six beautiful sisters, Princess Amy has
mousy brown hair and freckles, and she would
rather embark on an enchanting adventure in the
forest than marry a prince.
Ella Enchanted
The Wish (sequel)
Levine
Ella Enchanted is a remarkable rewrite of the
Cinderella tale. This story includes make-believe
languages, creatures from fantasy fiction, and
explanations for magic from a fairy's perspective.
The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Narnia (series)
Lewis
The "Mary Poppins" Books
Travers
For all her offended sniffs and humphs, Mary
Poppins is likely the most exciting nanny England-and the world--has ever seen. Young Jane and
Michael Banks have no idea what's in store for
them when Mary Poppins blows in on the east wind
one autumn evening.
Instead of Three Wishes
Turner
From leprechauns being sighted in New Hampshire
to an inner city boy who goes back in time to
prehistoric Sweden, this collection of stories is
utterly delightful and perfectly crafted.
The Mennyms (series)
Waugh
Four English children have exciting experiences
with talking beasts and weird magic in the
mysterious land of Narnia.
The Mennyms are a family of dolls, made by an
elderly woman before her death and imbued with
the ability to think and speak. They live
undiscovered until one day they receive a letter
from the landlord who intends to pay them a visit.
Travel Far Pay No Fare
Lindbergh
Dealing with Dragons (series)
Wrede
When 12-year-old Owen and his weird cousin,
Parsley, use a magic bookmark to bring animals
and events to life from their favorite books, they
end up in a potentially disastrous predicament.
The first book in The Enchanted Forest Chronicles,
featuring Princess Cimorene who is not the
marrying type. A delightful fairy tale parody. If
you liked Ella Enchanted, try this.
The Dragon of Lost Sea (series)
Yep
The outlawed princess of the Dragon Clan and her
young human companion undergo fearsome trials
in their quest for an evil enchantress. If you liked
Harry Potter, try this.
Perloo the Bold
Avi
Perloo, a member of the long-lived Montmers, a
sophisticated race of jackrabbit-like mammals, is
torn between a chance for glory and a longing to
crawl back to his burrow and curl up with a good
book.
Passager (series)
Yolen
Poppy (series)
An eight-year-old boy is abandoned in the woods of Avi
A courageous mouse embarks on a journey to save
medieval England. He is captured by the kindly
master Robin who sets out to tame him. The book her family and defeat the tyrannical horned owl
ends as the boy remembers that his name is Merlin. who rules the forest.
This first book of a trilogy will have readers waitingI Houdini
for the next.
Banks
Houdini, the hamster of masterful escapes, recites
his personal history, including the many successful
slips he's given his owners.
Science-Fiction
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
Nancy Farmer
The Incredible Journey
Three mutant detectives use their special powers to Burnford
search for the kidnapped children of General
Matsika in 2194 Zimbabwe.
A Wrinkle In Time (series)
L'Engle
A trio of whimsical characters, intent on helping
Meg to find her father, take her along with her
brother and their friend on an interplanetary
voyage. This is the first of the series
Maphead
Maphead: The Return
Howarth
Maphead and his father, Powers, live in a parallel
universe called the Subtle World, a world that
exists alongside and within ordinary reality,
invisible to all but a few people. To gain his full
power, Maphead must meet his mother--a mortal-during his twelfth year.
Lizard Music
Pinkwater
When left to take care of himself, a boy becomes
involved with a community of intelligent lizards
who tell him of an invasion from outer space.
Animal Stories
Two dogs and a cat support each other through
hardships and danger as they travel over two
hundred miles across Canada to reach their home.
Because of Winn Dixie
DiCamillo
Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal makes new friends
among the somewhat unusual residents of her new
southern hometown. Opal's down-home charm
and dead-on honesty will earn her friends and fans
far beyond the confines of Naomi, Florida.
The Black Stallion (series)
Farley
From Alec Ramsay and the Black's first meeting on
an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert
island and their eventual rescue, this beloved story
will hold the rapt attention of readers.
Old Yeller
Gipson
Travis hates the dog, that they named 'Old Yeller',
until Old Yeller saves Travis' life. Soon they are
best buddies, but the fate that is awaiting at the
end brings them apart.
Protecting Marie
Henkes
A young girl's special relationships with her father
and beloved dog are enhanced by themes of
wanting and getting and realizing that life is not
Sounder
always simple or easy. If you liked Because of
Armstrong
Winn
Dixie, try this.
Angry and humiliated when his father is jailed for
stealing food for his family, a young boy grows in
courage and understanding with the help of his
devoted dog, Sounder.
More Animal Stories
Misty of Chincoteague
Henry
Abel's Island
Steig
Castaway on a deserted island, Abel, a very
civilized mouse, finds his resourcefulness and
endurance tested to the limit as he struggles to
survive and return home.
Marguerite Henry's Newbery Honor Book has
captivated generations of boys and girls both with
its thrilling descriptions of true incidents from the The Cricket in Times Square (series)
Selden
tiny island of Chincoteague, and its realistic yet
After Chester cricket arrives in Times Square via a
wonderfully magical atmosphere.
picnic basket from Connecticut, he finds three
good friends: a boy named Mario, Tucker – a fastKing of the Wind
talking Broadway mouse, and his pal, Harry Cat.
Henry
A spirited Arabian horse, ancestor of the famous
Man ‘O War, and a mute stable boy become fast
friends in this book by the author of Misty of
Chincoteague, Stormy, Misty’s Foal, and other
books.
The Mouse and His Child
Hoban
Stuart Little
White
Into a normal American family there was born a
second son no bigger and no less than a mouse.
Realistic Fiction
An intricate fantasy that chronicles the hazardous
and heroic adventures of a broken windup mouse
and his father in search of happiness and security.
Are You There God? It's Me Margaret…
If you liked The Rats of NIMH, try this.
The Animal Family
Jarrell
Blume
After her family moves to New Jersey, an almosttwelve-year-old Margaret Simon talks to God about
all the trials, tribulations, emotional upheavals, and
This tale of a lonely hunter and a mermaid and
how they acquires a family is the stuff from which changes in her life and body.
a lifetime of dreams and epiphanies is made.
Gentle Ben
Morey
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (series)
Blume
Peter, because he's the oldest, must deal with
This is a book about a young boy who has a special Fudgie's disgusting cuteness, his constant
friendship with an Alaskan Brown Bear named Ben. meddling with Peter's stuff, and other grave
offenses, one of which is almost too much to bear.
The first of three entertaining yarns.
Shiloh (series)
Naylor
When he finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his
West Virginia home, Marty tries to hide from his
family and the dog’s real owner, a mean-spirited
man who mistreats his pets.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
O'Brien
To help her children, a widowed mouse seeks aid
from the rats wise from former experiences in a
scientific laboratory. The series continues in
sequels by O’Brien’s daughter, Jane Leslie Conly.
The Secret Garden
Burnett
Mary Lennox, lonely and sad, comes to live at her
uncle's great house on the Yorkshire moors, she
finds it full of secrets.
P.S. Longer Letter Later
Snail Mail No More (sequel)
Danziger
Tara*Starr is as colorful as her name. Her best
friend, Elizabeth, who is decidedly more retiring,
must start seventh grade without the moral
The Wainscott Weasel
support of her lively, humorous friend who has
moved away. The girls try to keep their friendship
Seidler
While other young weasels dance under the pines, alive through letters.
Bagley thinks about Bridget, the mesmerizing fish
who lives in a pond down the brook from his den.
If you liked Poppy, try this.
More Realistic
Fiction
Everything on a Waffle
Horovath
In the small Canadian town of Coal Harbour, in a
quaint restaurant called The Girl on the Red Swing,
everything comes on a waffle – lasagna, fish, you
The Man in the Ceiling
name it. Even waffles! Eleven-year-old Primrose
Feiffer
Squarp loves this homey place, especially its owner,
Jimmy Jibbett loves drawing cartoons and hopes to Kate Bowzer.
be great some day--but first he must cope with a
lack of privacy, a father who wishes he liked sports
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E.
instead of drawing, a popular older boy who
pressures him to sell out and his own urge to give Frankweiler
Koningsburg
up when he's failing. If you liked Jack’s Black
A young girl and her younger brother run away
Book, try this.
from their home in Connecticut and end up living
in the Metropolitan Museum, in New York City.
The Great Brain (series)
Together they unravel a mystery.
Fitzgerald
The shrewdest con artist west of the Mississippi
during the early 1900s was 10-year-old Tom
Fitzgerald, alias "The Great Brain."
Harriet the Spy
Fitzhugh
The View From Saturday
E.L. Konigsburg
Mrs. Olinsky chooses a group of her sixth graders
to be on the Academic Bowl team. The book is
filled with surprises as we learn about each of
them and their teacher.
Louise Fitzhugh's vivid novel about a spirited
young girl who prepares for her future as a writer
by spying on neighbors and strangers, and learns Anastasia Krupnik (series)
some life lessons in the process.
Lowry
Anastasia's tenth year has some good things, like
falling in love and really getting to know her
grandmother, and some bad things, like finding out
Nobody’s Family Is Going to Change
about an impending baby brother.
Fitzhugh
Emma wants to be a lawyer - her dad is against
Arthur for the Very First Time
female lawyers. Willie (Emma's younger brother)
wants to dance - but again his father is against the MacLachlan
When Arthur goes to stay with his Great-Aunt Elda
idea and would really like Willie to be a lawyer.
and Great-Uncle Wrisby on their farm, his world is
turned upside down. For the first time Arthur
Jack’s Black Book (series)
wonders what's real and what's not.
Gantos
Jack Henry and his eccentric family are back from
Barbados (see Jack's New Power) to muddle
through their latest adventure. At the end of his
seventh-grade year, Jack is resolved to begin a
writing career.
Falcon’s Egg
Gray
Felita
Mohr
A story of a Puerto Rican family struggling to give
their children a brighter future in the face of
racism and prejudice. Felita's parents promise she
will love their new neighborhood. Only Abuelita,
her grandmother, understands how much Felita
will miss her old block, and her best friend Gigi.
Discovering a mysterious dragon egg in Central
Park, Falcon, the daughter of a hectic and eccentric
Secret Letters From 0-10
family, is amazed when the egg releases a
Morgenstern
wonderful magical power when it is hatched. If
Quirky characters, heightening suspense, and
you liked Because of Winn Dixie, try this.
hilarious situations are deftly combined in this
tender French novel that examines a few of the
Honus and Me
large and small ways people affect one another.
Gutman
Joe Stoshack and his mom aren't rich, so when Joe
finds a valuable baseball card in an old lady's attic,
he thinks he's got it made.
More Realistic
Fiction
The Agony of Alice (series)
Naylor
The World of Daughter McGuire
Wyeth
Eleven-year-old Daughter McGuire is having a hard
time – her parents are separated, she is responsible
every day after school for her eight-year-old
brother, Satch, and she has a family heritage
project due. According to her family tree, she is
African-Italian-Irish-Jewish-Russian-American!
Alice McKinley is about to become a teenager, but
she doesn't know how. Is she doomed to a life of
one embarrassment after another? If you like this, Starfisher
Dream Soul
try Anastasia Krupnik.
Yep
Two engrossing books about the story of the
Chinese American Lee family in Clarksburg, West
Eleven-year-old Gilly has been stuck in more foster Virginia in 1927.
families than she can remember, and she's disliked
them all intensely. Against all odds, she is
determined to find her birth mother.
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Paterson
Tales of Adventure
All Alone in the Universe
Perkins
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
A quiet, kind story, a chronology of heartache and Avi
In 1832, thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle, the only
healing told around the milestones of summer
vacation, first boyfriends, and Thanksgiving at the passenger and only female aboard a sailing ship
bound from England to Rhode Island, is drawn into
kids' table.
danger when she joins the crew in a revolt against
the captain.
Strudel Stories
Rocklin
Mixing memories of her own relatives' stories with The Indian in the Cupboard (series)
a bit of history and imagination, Rocklin makes her Banks
Jewish family come alive in these warm, humorous Omri's big brother has no birthday present for him,
so he gives Omri an old medicine cabinet he found.
selections.
The cabinet still doesn't seem like much of a
present until Omri dumps a plastic toy Indian into
The Skirt
it just before falling asleep. Then the magic
Soto
begins.
In this cheery snapshot of a Mexican-American
family in California, Miata attempts to retrieve
The Twenty-One Balloons
from her schoolbus the folklorico skirt she left
DuBois
behind.
Professor William Waterman Sherman intends to fly
across the Pacific Ocean. But through a twist of
Ballet Shoes (series)
fate, he lands on Krakatoa, and discovers a world
Streatfield
of unimaginable wealth, eccentric inhabitants, and
Streatfeild's well-known story of three poor
incredible balloon inventions.
adoptive sisters who are trained as dancers and
actresses in order to support the family.
Scooter
Williams
My Side of the Mountain
On the Far Side of the Mountain (sequel)
George
Set in a New York City housing project, this series Sam Gribley is terribly unhappy living in New York
of vignettes forms a bouncy oversize novel about a City with his family, so he runs away to the Catskill
Mountains to live in the woods-all by himself. If
girl's adjustment to her parents' divorce.
you liked this, read Hatchet.
More Tales of
Adventure
A Girl Named Disaster
Farmer
Eleven-year-old Nhamo invites young readers to
share her adventures in the wilds of Africa as she
flees from her village and a planned marriage to a
cruel stranger.
Stone Fox
Gardiner
Ten-year-old Willy needs to win the big dogsled
race in order to pay the back taxes on his
grandfather's farm.
Running Out of Time
Haddix
Hatchet (series)
Paulsen
When the small plane he is traveling in crashes,
Brian Robeson finds himself alone and stranded in
the Canadian wilderness with only the clothes he is
wearing and a hatchet. Survival is one theme of
many Gary Paulsen stories.
Swallows and Amazons
Ransome
The summer adventures of two sets of English
children who camp on a small island, go sailing,
and live off the land.
The Cay
Taylor
Phillip survives the shark-infested waters of the
Caribbean. Can he also survive the blindness that
follows?
The Thief
Believing herself to be a frontier child in 1840,
Turner
Jessie is shocked when her mother reveals a secret Set in a time long ago and far away, this first– it's really 1996.
person novel tells of a gifted young thief,
imprisoned for life, who is offered one chance to
Slake's Limbo
win his freedom.
Holman
When Artemis Slake disappears into the subway
tunnels of New York, no one misses him, no one
cares, or so he thinks. But 13-year-old Artemis
manages to survive on his own. In fact, he
flourishes, as he creates his own little world apart.
The Wreckers
Lawrence
The Castle in the Attic
Battle of the Castle (sequel)
Winthrop
The mysterious castle William's housekeeper told
him about is suddenly his--an old, authentic wooden model with a knight as tall as his finger to guard
the gate, and it's the best gift he ever received.
In 1799, a storm rages and a ship is wrecked on the
The Swiss Family Robinson
rocky Cornwall. John, who was sailing home after
his first trading voyage with his merchant father, is Wyss
Classic tale of a family that survives a shipwreck.
apparently the only survivor.
Through ingenuity and working together, they
build a paradise on an island populated by an
Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed
impossibly rich array of plants and animals. Read
America (non-fiction)
the book and find out what that tree house in
Murphy
Disney World is all about.
In March of 1888, two massive weather systems
converged on the northeastern United States. The
storms caught a nation unaware; for two days an
ensuing blizzard raged, killing hundreds of people.
Island of the Blue Dolphins
O'Dell
Historical Fiction
Beyond the Western Sea (Book I and II)
A haunting and unusual story based on the fact
that in the early 1800s an Indian girl spent 18 yearsAvi
alone on a rocky island far off the coast of
A Victorian serial novel with a huge cast, and a
California.
multiplicity of short chapters setting out an
episodic plot replete with chance meetings, narrow
escapes, and dismaying revelations.
More Historical Fiction
Storm Warriors
Carbone
In 1895, Nathan moves to Pea Island where he
hopes to join the all-black crew of surfmen at the
Pea Island Life Saving Station.
Catherine Called Birdy
Cushman
Life in the last decade of the twelfth century as
seen through the eyes of a young teenage girl.
Matilda Bone
Cushman
Matilda is an excessively pious young woman,
obsessed with the saints whose voices chorus in
her ear and the recollected wisdom of her former
teacher and mentor, Father Leufredus.
Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles
“Royal Diaries” series
Lasky
Kathryn Lasky invents a diary of the young Marie
Antoinette in 1769 – the year she is to be married
off to Dauphin Louis Auguste, eldest grandson of
the French king Louis XV.
Dave at Night
Levine
Two Jewish boys are growing up in 1920s New
York, playing stickball and – in Dave's case –
getting into trouble. But when their father dies,
Dave finds himself separated from his older
brother and thrust into the cold halls of the
Hebrew Home for Boys.
Number the Stars
Lowry
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best
friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the
war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is
Lily’s Crossing
filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi
Giff
During a summer spent at Rockaway beach in1944, soldiers marching through town.
10-year-old Lily’s friendship with Albert, a young
Hungarian refugee, causes her to see the war and Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba
her own world differently.
(“Dear America” series)
McKissack
Nora Ryan’s Song
Giff
In present-day Angola, the African queen Nzingha
is a cultural hero for her resistance to the
Portuguese colonizers and slave traders during her
nearly 40-year rule in the early seventeenth
century.
Hope’s Crossing
Goodman
The Journal of Joshua Loper: A Black
Cowboy (“My America” series)
Myers
Life is hard for poor Irish potato farmers, but 12year-old Nora Ryan and her family have always
scraped by, until one morning. . .
A courageous young girl is kidnapped by British
loyalists during the Revolutionary War period.
The teenage son of a former slave joins a cattle
Hope escapes before she can be sold to a slave
drive from Texas to Abilene. Despite the bigotry of
trader, and with her captor's aged mother, Maude, the trail boss (The Captain), rustlers, and
makes her way to a war-torn but bustling New York stampedes, Joshua is determined to prove himself
City.
on his first drive.
Winter Hare
Goodman
A Single Shard
Park
Set in 1140, this exciting book chronicles the desire A broken piece of pottery sets events in
of 12-year-old Will to emulate King Arthur and to motion as an orphan struggles to pay off his
become a great knight during a time of civil war in debt to a master potter. This finely crafted
England.
novel brings 12th-century Korea and these
indelible characters to life. Newbery award.
Our Only May Ameila
Holms
Twelve-year-old May Amelia is too busy chasing
sheep, fishing for salmon, and keeping pace with
her seven Finnish brothers to bother wearing a
dress or scrubbing behind her ears. Unfortunately,
she's being pressured to clean up her act.
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Speare
Cat misses her home in Barbados, and the cold
winters of New England are a new experience for
her, but a greater threat comes from the Puritan
neighbors who do not understand her.
Even More Historical Fiction
The Land
Mildred D. Taylor
After the Civil War Paul, the son of a white
father and a black mother, finds himself
caught between the two worlds of colored
folks and white folks as he pursues his dream
of owning land of his own. Coretta Scott King
award & Scott O’Dell award.
Born Free
Adams
The story of Elsa the lion and her cubs. If you
liked Old Yeller or The Incredible Journey, read
this book.
Ethel and Ernest
Briggs
Poignant, funny, and utterly original, Ethel & Ernest
is Raymond Briggs's loving depiction of his parents'
in the 1970s. lives from their chance first
encounter in the 1920s until their deaths
Kaiulani: The People’s Princess (“Royal
Cleopatra
Diaries” series)
Brooks
White
This fact-filled account reads like a novel as it
The daughter of a European merchant and a
Hawaiian princess, Kaiulani was a direct heir to the charts the life, times, and politics of Cleopatra,
queen of Egypt.
Kalakaua dynasty, and third in line for the
Hawaiian throne.
The "Little House on the Prairie" Books
Wilder
Talking With Adventurers
Cummings
Each interview consists of a brief autobiographical
The adventures continue for Laura Ingalls and her summary followed by responses to a list of
questions. Well-known and unfamiliar subjects are
family as they leave their little house in the big
included, and photos are provided.
woods of Wisconsin and set out for Kansas.
Caleb’s Choice
Wisler
Boy
Dahl
Can this book explain all of those terrible grown
In the 1850s, after his father goes bankrupt, Caleb
ups in Roald Dahl’s fiction stories?
finds himself at the home of his grandmother in
north Texas. There his life is saved by a runaway
The Longitude Prize
slave. When he discovers that his cousin is
helping other runaways, he must decide whether to Dash
help her or not.
Longitude was a mystery, and many disoriented
ships sank until, in the 18th century, an English
clockmaker developed a series of instruments to
Once On This River
establish a ship's east-west position.
Wyeth
This riveting historical novel recounts a trip from
Madagascar to New York in 1760 and a young black
girl's shocking discovery of her true heritage.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Freedman
Biography &
Autobiography
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World
Armstrong
The best athlete of the 20th century may have been
Babe Didrickson Zaharias, who appears in a vibrant
biography that crushes any remaining myths about
women in sports
Eleanor Roosevelt
Freedman
A timid child from a dysfunctional family, Eleanor
Roosevelt became a courageous woman whose
The harrowing survival story of English explorer Sir career grew from a series of devastating events.
Ernest Shackleton and 27 sailors who attempted to
cross the frozen Antarctic continent from one side
to the other.
More Biography &
Autobiography
What’s the big Idea, Ben Franklin?
Fritz
Shout Sister Shout
Orgill
In this richly illustrated collection, music critic
Roxane Orgill paints vivid word pictures of the
lives of 10 women vocalists who span the century,
from Sophie Tucker, Last of the Red Hot Mamas, to
country singer Lucinda Williams.
A brief biography of the 18th-Century printer,
inventor, and statesman who played an influential
Bill Peet: An Autobiography
role in the early history of the United States.
Peet
Beyond The Sea of Ice: The Story of
Henry Hudson
Goodman
Well-known author and illustrator, Bill Peet tells of
his boyhood, his constant doodling and drawing,
and how he joined Disney during the depression as
a finish cartoonist.
The book presents a clear overview of the
explorer's accomplishments and sad fate. Excerpts Living Dangerously
from the diaries of Hudson and some of his
Rappaport
shipmates accompany the text.
This compilation offers exciting reading about six
dauntless and determined adventurers who, as
I Have a Dream
women, broke new ground by climbing, flying,
Haskins
diving, running, exploring, or going over Niagara
There are numerous biographies of Martin Luther Falls in a barrel.
King, but Rosa Parks's sensitive and reflective
introduction and the boxed inserts of King's actual The Upstairs Room
words make this account particularly appealing.
Reiss
In this fine autobiographical novel, Johanna Reiss
Lives of the Athletes : Thrills, Spills (And depicts the trials of her Dutch-Jewish family who
What the Neighbors Thought)
hid out for two years during World War II.
Krull
Profiles twenty athletes of the 1900s who broke
new ground in their sports and often fought racial
or gender barriers as well. Others in the series
include writers, artists, musicians, presidents, and
women.
Spellbinder
Lalicki
Knots in My Yo-Yo String
Spinelli
Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli has penned
his early autobiography with all the warmth,
humor, and drama of his best-selling fiction.
Entertaining and fast-paced, this is a highly
readable memoir-- a must-have for Spinelli fans.
This intriguing biography surveys the life of Elrich
Weiss, better known as Harry Houdini. Lalicki sifts Forging Freedom
through the many contradictions of Houdini's life Talbot
to unveil Houdini's stratospheric rise to success.
Talbott tells the story of his friend Jaap Penraat,
Childhood of "Famous Americans"
Biography Series Macmillan Publishers
Written by a variety of different authors, these
biographies are lively and informative.
Malcolm X
Myers
Born Malcolm Little, Malcolm X spent much of his
life speaking out for the equality of black people
and the need for individuals to take personal
responsibility for their own success in America.
who, as a young architectural student in Amsterdam
under the Nazi occupation, saved hundreds of Jews
from arrest, first by forging their ID cards, and then
by devising an elaborate escape plan to smuggle
them over the border to freedom.
Poetry & Word Play
Go Hang a Salami I'm a Lasagna Hog
Agee
Extra Innings
Hopkins
A handsome collection of poems about baseball,
from the pros to the children of the little league.
Stone Bench in an Empty Ark
Zany black-and-white drawings complement a
selection of palindromes, words or sentences that Janeczko
A collection of haiku poems that celebrate city life,
read the same forward and backward.
illustrated with black-and-white photos.
Poetry For Young People:
Lewis Carroll
Ackamarackus: Julius Lester's
Sumptuously Silly Fantastically Funny
Much of the sly, entertaining, and sometimes just
Fables
plain odd poetry that is scattered among Lewis
Lester
Carroll's books is gathered here.
Poems For Youth
Dickinson
A new edition of a book published in 1934, this
handsome volume presents Emily Dickinson's
poetry to young people.
Mammalopedia
Florian
In these six highly alliterative fables, Lester creates
some of the silliest critters ever to have walked (or
flown or swum) this earth.
Butterfly Jar
Moss
Wise, wacky, and brimming with memorable
characters, The Butterfly Jar will tickle the funny
bones and warm the hearts of children and adults.
For a reader with a sophisticated vocabulary and a Bones Poems
love of words, mammalabilia provides 21 clever
Moss
rhymed verses about a variety of animals, some
A whimsical, imaginative collection of rhymes
familiar and others exotic.
about dinosaurs and primitive humans that
illuminate the curiosities of nature and science.
Insectlopedia
Florian
Insectlopedia swarms, buzzes, and slithers with
poetry and paint. Douglas Florian has come up
with a delightful infestation of 21 spider and
insect poems and paintings, awash in watercolor
and collage on primed brown paper bags.
Poetry For Young People:
Robert Frost
The New Kid on the Block (series)
Prelutsky
These exuberant valises of verse bulge with many
poems about things you've never thought about
like Underwater Wibbles who dine on cheese.
The Green Grass Grew All Around
Schwartz
Full of vigorous, swinging rhythms and funny,
From the Great Poets series--exquisite small-format
often nasty, sentiments, the pages are filled with
collections of classic poetry enhanced by full-color
well-known rhymes as well as new discoveries.
reproductions of period art, and readable, scholarly
introductions.
Dreams of Glory
Glaser
Divided into sections labeled "Sports," "Power," and
"Dreams of Glory," the thirty poems in reflect the
hopes, fears, and aspirations of modern girls.
Joyful Noise
Fleischman
Joyful noise is a great book to read with another
person. It is filled with poems for two voices.
Read it with a friend.
Eight Ate (word-play series)
Terbain
From a bare bear to a foul fowl, this collection of
original riddles will keep you laughing.
Folklore & Fairytales
Fairy Tales
Doherty
Doherty's retellings are respectful of the originals,
while incorporating her own strong, vibrant voice.
More Folklore &
Fairytales
In the Beginning
Hamilton
The creation myths of different religions and
cultures are told in a lively fashion.
The People Could Fly
Hamilton
Humor, magic and mystery underscore the theme
of freedom in these collections of stories drawn
from the African-American folktale tradition.
Vampire Bugs
Wyeth
Six tales of young people transformed into
lightning bugs, placed under spells, or visited by
ghosts will raise goosebumps and serve as an
introduction to African-American folklore.
The Rainbow People
Tongues of Jade
Yep
In these two collections, Newbery Honor Awardwinner Laurence Yep has collected and retold
folktales originally recounted by Chinese-American
immigrants as part of a 1930s WPA project.
Here There Be Unicorns
Yolen
A fabulous collection of unicorn stories and poems,
with both medieval and modern settings about the
fabled beast's healing powers and quintessential
goodness. The poems, which are written in a
variety of styles, including some that are quite
Round Table, Merlin, Guinevere and Lancelot, and challenging, are sure to generate interesting
of course the once and future king himself, Arthur. discussions about creative expression.
The Legend of King Arthur
Lister
This book is fantastic for anyone who
would like to start learning the legends of the
The Dark Thirty
McKissack
These 10 spine-tinglers range from straight-up
ghost stories to other Southern tales of the
supernatural.
Dreamtime: Aboriginal Stories
Oodgeroo-Bancroft
The Outspoken Princess and the Gentle
Knight
Zipes
Fifteen distinguished authors, including Tanith Lee,
Jane Yolen, A. S. Byatt, and Lloyd Alexander,
present magical, modern renditions of traditional
fairy tales.
Humor
27 stories by an honored Aboriginal writer are
divided into Stories from Stradbroke – memoirs of
the author's childhood in the 1920s and '30s, and
Stories from the Old & New Dreamtime – Aborigine Bud Not Buddy
Curtis
myths and new stories told in traditional styles.
Set in Michigan during the Great Depression, this is
an Oliver Twist kind of foundling story, but it's told
Cut From the Same Cloth
with affectionate comedy. Bud is charming and
San Souci
sincere, and the cast of characters is authentic and
Arranged geographically from northeast to west
memorable.
(including Alaska and Hawaii), these 15 tales of
clever, strong- willed, or larger-than-life women
The Watson's Go to Birmingham, 1963
represent several cultures:Anglo-, Native-, African-,
Curtis
and Mexican-American.
Paul Curtis's wonderfully-told story is a strong one
The Serpent Slayer and Other Stories of with humor, tragedy and family life finely
interwoven.
Strong Women
Tchana
18 stories showcase the courage, cleverness, and
integrity of women who dare to go beyond their
traditional roles and stand up for themselves and
their people.
Our House: The Stories of Levittown
Conrad
This collection uses the history of Levittown, that
quintessential post- World War II Long Island
suburb, as the organizing principle underlying six
finely crafted short stories.
More Humor
The Pushcart War
Merrill
A funny tale about a fictional war in 1976 between
New York City’s truck drivers & pushcart peddlers.
The BFG
Dahl
Owls in the Family
The BFG (Big Friendly Giant) is one of Roald Dahl's Mowat
most lovable character creations. With Sophie
nestled into the soft skin of his ear he captures
dreams as though they were exotic butterflies.
Every child needs to have a pet. No one could argue
with that, but what happens when your pet is an
owl, and your owl is terrorizing the neighborhood?
A Year Down Yonder
A Long Way From Chicago
Mr. Fox is surrounded! He's going to have to come Peck
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Dahl
up with a truly fantastic plan to dig himself out of
trouble this time. When they try to dig him out, he
digs faster; when they lay siege to his den, he
tunnels to where the farmers least expect him-their own larders!
The Trolls
Horovath
These two books contain thoroughly entertaining
stories featuring Grandma Dowdel, whose
ungrandmotherly ways are a constant source of
surprise, and often shock, to her grandchildren.
Holes
Sachar
A darkly humorous tale of crime and punishment.
Mom and Dad are off to Paris and in dire need of a This one-of-a-kind book is one that you will never
last-minute babysitter. Aunt Sally, however, is not forget.
Mr. Anderson's first choice. She is his story-telling
sister who does silly things with string beans.
There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom
Uncanny
Unmentionable (series)
Jennings
Sachar
The triumph of Bradley Chalkers, the weird,
insecure bully of the fifth grade, will appeal to
every reader who has cheered for--or been--the
Horror story fans are sure to be drawn to these two underdog.
volumes; however, those expecting the genre's
traditional fare may be taken aback by the author's Dogs Don't Tell Jokes
Monty Pythonesque sense of humor. Surprising,
Sachar
gross, scary, and unpredictable.
Twelve-year-old jokester Gary Boone knows he was
born to be a comedian, it's the kids in his class who
think he's just a goon.
Regarding the Fountain
Klise
The school in Dry Creek needs a new drinking
fountain, but a simple request for a catalog turns
the town upside down when Florence Waters
begins corresponding with the fifth-grade class.
Letters from Camp
Klise
Mystery
The House with a Clock in its Walls
(series)
Bellairs
Anyone who has been to summer camp will delight This is a deliciously chilling tale, with healthy
in this wild spoof of camp life told entirely in
doses of humor and compassion thrown in for
letters, memos, and whimsical illustrations,
good measure. Lewis always dreamed of living in
an old house full of secret passageways, hidden
rooms, and big marble fireplaces. And suddenly,
Homer Price
after the death of his parents, he finds himself in
Centerburg Tales (sequel)
just such a mansion--his Uncle Jonathan's.
McCloskey
Popular and preposterous stories about a young
Midwestern boy who is always getting into trouble.
More Mystery
Stonewords
Conrad
The Dollhouse Murders
Wright
Discovering an old-fashioned dollhouse in a dusty
attic, Amy is unaware that the dollhouse holds a
deadly, forgotten secret about a past murder, and
the dolls decide that Amy must learn the truth.
A strange tale in which two girls, one in the past
and one in the present, move back and forth in
each other's lives. Zoe's grandparents think that
Zoe Louise is Zoe's imaginary friend.The truth,
however, is that Zoe Louise lived in Zoe's house a
century ago, and her ghost has returned to solve a d'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths
terrible mystery. . .
d'Aulaire's Book of Norse Gods
Mythology
Wait Till Helen Comes
Hahn
d'Aulaire
Theses best-loved children's book about the gods
and goddesses, kings and heroes of ancient
A powerful, convincing, and frightening tale. Ghost- mythology offer a whirlwind introduction to the
story fans have a spooky treat in store. What's that gods and goddesses of the past.
misty white figure lurking behind that tree near
that old overgrown grave? Could it be Helen?
Cats From Myth
Read the book and find out.
The "Bunnicula" Series
Howe
Dogs From Myth
Hausman
These handsome, oversize books are not just a
treat for cat and dog lovers but also for readers
Told by Harold, the family dog, the hilarious tale of who enjoy a good folktale.
a bunny found by the Monroes in a Dracula movie
and the effort of Harold and Chester, the cat, to
A Family Treasury of Myths From
“save” the family from what they suspect is a
Around the World
vampire rabbit. (And, other stories.)
Koenig
Clockwork
Pullman
The frightening story about a king with a heart
made of clockworks becomes horrifyingly real
when a hooded, menacing figure from the tale, the
mad doctor Kalmenius, enters the inn where the
tale is being told.
This global collection is clearly designed as a book
for family sharing.
Greek Gods and Heroes
Graves
Venerable writer Robert Graves re-tells the most
memorable Greek myths in a fun loving style that
will entertain children and adults.
Count Karlstein
Pullman
Heroes, Gods and Monsters of Greek
Myths
The wicked Count Karlstein plans to sacrifice his
two young nieces to save himself from the pact he Evslin
In this compelling book, Evslin introduces readers
entered into with the Demon Huntsman, tales of
whom circulate widely in their mountainous Swiss to the wondrous and terrifying world of
superhuman beings, such as Medusa and the
village.
Minotaur, and the glory of gods like Zeus, Athena,
Poseidon – brought magically to life through
A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad and
exciting retellings of great adventurers such as
Beginning (series)
Perseus, Daedalus, Prometheus, and others.
Snicket
This highly popular series tells the grim tale of the
Baudelaire children and all of the problems they
face. Somehow, they always manage to get by.