GISD Recommended Primary Reading List
This list includes suggested authors and titles to assist parents in choosing books that reflect their child’s reading level,
interests, and family values. Included here are concept books, pre-primers and primers for developing readers, picture books
that are enjoyed by a wide audience, and beginning chapter books suitable for advancing readers.
2X2 Library Reading List
Grade
K-1st
K-1st
K-1st
K-1st
K-1st
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
Title
Author
I Don’t Want to be a Frog
Polar Bear's Underwear
Race Car Count
We Dig worms!
What This Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig
First Grade Drop Out
Flutter & Hum: Animal Poems
Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise
It's Only Stanley
Mother Bruce
The New Small Person
P. Zonka Lays an Egg
We Forgot Brock!
What James Said
Petty, Dev
Tupera Tupera
Dotlich, Rebecca Kai
McCloskey, Kevin
Virjan, Emma J.
Vernick, Audrey
Paschkis, Julie
Taylor, Sean
Agee, Jon
Higgins, Ryan T.
Child, Lauren
Paschkis, Julie
Goodrich, Carter
Rosenberg, Liz
Caldecott Reading List
Grade
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
1st
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
Title
All the World
Alphabatics
Blackout
Color Zoo
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
Freight Train
The Happy Day
Have You Seen my Duckling?
Hondo & Fabian
The House in the Night
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale
No, David!
On Market Street
Sam & Dave Dig a Hole
Snow
The Stray Dog
Ten, Nine, Eight
There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly
Tuesday
When Sophie Gets Angry -- Really, Really Angry
Yo! Yes?
1 is One
Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti
Ape in a Cape: An Alphabet of Odd Animals
Arrow the Sun: A Pueblo Indian Tale
Ben's Trumpet
A Child's Good Night Book
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
Coming on Home Soon
Creepy Carrots!
Ella Sarah gets Dressed
First the Egg
The Fox Went Out on a Chilly Night: An Old Song
Author
Scanlon, Liz Garton
MacDonald, Suse
Rocco, John
Ehlert, Lois
Willems, Mo
Crews, Donald
Krauss, Ruth
Tafuri, Nancy
McCarty, Peter
Swanson, Susan Marie
Wood, Audrey
Willems, Mo
Shannon, David
Lobel, Arnold
Barnett, Mac
Shulevitz, Uri
Simont, Marc
Bang, Molly
Taback, Simms
Wiesner, David
Bang, Molly
Raschka, Chris
Tudor, Tasha
McDermott, Gerald
Eichenberg, Fritz
McDermott, Gerald
Isadora, Rachel
Brown, Margaret Wise
Cronin, Doreen
Woodson, Jacqueline
Ryenolds, Aaron
Chodos-Irvine, Margaret
Seeger, Laura Vaccaro
Spier, Peter
GISD Recommended Intermediate Reading List
Grade
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
2nd
Title
Frederick
Frog and Toad Are Friends
Frog Went A-Courtin'
The Glorious Flight: Across The Channel With Louis
Bleriot July 25, 1909
Goggles!
Golem
Grandpa Green
Green Eyes
Henry's Freedom Box
Hey, Al
Hush! A Thai Lullaby
In The Night Kitchen
In The Small, Small Pond
Inch by Inch
Interrupting Chicken
Joseph Had A Little Overcoat
King Bidgood's in the Bathtub
Kitten's First Full Moon
Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity
Little Bear's Visit
Mice Twice
The Moon Jumpers
"More More More" Said the Baby: 3 Love Stories
Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present
My Friend Rabbit
Nana in the City
Officer Buckle and Gloria
Olivia
Owen
Author
Lionni, Leo
Lobel, Arnold
Langstaff, John
Provensen, Alice
Keats, Ezra Jack
Wisniewski, David
Smith, Lane
Birnbaum, Abe
Levine, Ellen
Yorinks, Arthur
Ho, Minfong
Sendak, Maurice
Fleming, Denise
Lionni, Leo
Stein, David Ezra
Taback, Simms
Wood, Audrey
Henkes, Kevin
Willems, Mo
Minarik, Else Holmelund
Low, Joseph
Udry, Janice May
Williams, Vera B.
Zolotow, Charlotte
Rohmann, Eric
Castillo, Lauren
Rathmann, Peggy
Falconer, Ian
Henkes, Kevin
Nonfiction Topics
These are topics to be explored in science or social studies. Your child might enjoy building background knowledge during
the summer to enhance fall learning.
1st grade
Health, including safety, nutrition, exercise and hygiene
The 5 senses
Maps and globes
Good citizenship and leadership qualities
Landforms and bodies of water
Life cycles
National holidays, state and national symbols
Culture, folktales, legends
Light, heat, and sound
Force and motion
Earth and space—cycles and patterns
2nd grade
Body systems
Weather, the water cycle, cloud types
Natural resources and conservation
Good citizenship
Matter, solids and liquids
Magnets
Sound, light, heat
Plants
Insects
Traditions, celebrations and customs
GISD Recommended Intermediate Reading List
Many reading levels can be found among students in the same grade. This list includes suggested authors and titles to assist
parents in choosing books that reflect their child’s reading level, interests, and family values.
Caldecott Reading List
Grade
3rd
3rd
Title
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
Always Room for One More
The Amazing Bone
Anatole
Anatole and the Cat
Andy and the Lion: A Tale of Kindness Remembered or
the Power of Gratitude
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
The Biggest Bear
Black and White
Blueberries for Sal
The Boy of the Three-Year Nap
A Chair for My Mother
A Child's Calendar: Poems
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever
Leodhas, Sorche Nic
Steig, William
Titus, Eve
Titus, Eve
Daugherty, James Henry
Crow Boy
The Desert is Theirs
Drummer Hoff
The Egg Tree
Extra Yarn
Finders Keepers
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most
Famous Bear
The Funny Little Woman
The Gardener
Goldilock and the Three Bears
Golem
Grandfather's Journey
Harlem: A Poem
Hawk, I'm Your Brother
The Hello, Goodbye Window
Hide and Seek Fog
Yashima, Taro
Baylor, Byrd
Emberley, Barbara
Milhous, Katherine
Barnett, Mac
Lipkind, Will
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
Hot Air: The (Mostly) True Story of the First Hot-Air
Balloon Ride
It Could Always be Worse: A Yiddish Folk Tale
Juanita
Last Stop On Market Street
The Little House
The Little Island
3rd
3rd
3rd
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure
Crenshaw
Roller Girl
The Amazing Age of John Roy Lynch
Circus Mirandus
A Fine Dessert
Harriet the Invincible
Lowriders in Space, Book 1
Nightmares!
The Terrible Two
3rd
3rd
Author
Santat, Dan
Lionni, Leo
Dr. Seuss
Ward, Lynd
Macaulay, David
McCloskey, Robert
Snyder, Dianne
Williams, Vera B.
Updike, John
Frazee, Marla
Mattick, Lindsay
Mosel, Arlene
Stewart, Sarah
Marshall, James
Wisniewski, David
Say, Allen
Myers, Walter Dean
Baylor, Byrd
Juster, Norton
Tresselt, Alvin R.
Priceman, Marjorie
Zemach, Margot
Politi, Leo
De La Pena, Matt
Burton, Virginia Lee
Brown, Margaret
Bluebonnet Reading List
Cronin, Doreen
Applegate, Katherine
Jamieson, Victoria
Barton, Chris
Beasley, Cassie
Jenkins, Emily
Vernon, Ursula
Camper, Cathy
Segel, Jason
Barnett, Mac
Bluebonnet Reading List
Grade
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
Title
Author
The Fog Diver
A Handful of Stars
Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that
Baffled All of France
Poems in the Attic
Ross, Joel N.
Lord, Cynthia
Rockliff, Mara
Ratscalibur
Space Case
Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry
Farmer
Lieb, Josh
Gibbs, Stuart
Grimes, Nikki
Jones, Kelly
Newbery Reading List
Grade
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
3rd
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
Title
Al Capone Does my Shirts
The Bears on Hemlock Mountain
Because of Winn-Dixie
The Courage of Sarah Noble
Crazy Lady!
El Deafo
Doctor De Soto
The Hundred Penny Box
Last Stop on Market Street
Millions of Cats
Nothing But the Truth: A Documentary Novel
The One and Only Ivan
Red Sails to Capri
Roller Girl
Rules
Sarah, Plain and Tall
The Secret River
Show Way
Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush
Three Times Lucky
Turtle in Paradise
The War that Saved My Life
The Whipping Boy
From The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
The Good Master
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Holes
Honk the Moose
In the Beginning: Creation Stories from Around the World
Inside Out & Back Again
26 Fairmount Avenue
After Tupac and D Foster
And Now Miguel
Annie and the Old One
The Apple and the Arrow
Belle Prater's Boys
Breaking Stalin's Nose
Bridge to Terabithia
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
Charlotte's Web
The Corn Grows Ripe
Author
Choldenko, Gennifer
Dalgliesh, Alice
DiCamillo, Kate
Dalgliesh, Alice
Conly, Jane Leslie
Bell, Cece
Steig, William
Mathis, Sharon Bell
De La Pena, Matt
Gag, Wanda
Avi
Applegate, Katherine
Well, Ann
Jamieson, Victoria
Lord, Cynthia
MacLachlan, Patricia
Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan
Woodson, Jacqueline
Hamilton, Virginia
Tumage, Sheila
Holm, Jennifer
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker
Fleischman, Sid
Konigsburg, E. L.
Seredy, Kate
Paterson, Katherine
Sachar, Louis
Stong, Phil
Hamilton, Virginia
Lai, Thanhha
DePaola, Tomie
Woodson, Jacqueline
Krumgold, Joseph
Miles, Miska
Buff, Mary
White, Ruth
Yelchin, Eugene
Paterson, Katherine
Latham, Jean Lee
White, E. B.
Rhoads, Dorothy
Newbery Reading List
Grade
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
4th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
Title
A Corner of the Universe
The Cow-Tail Switch and Other West African Stories
The Cricket In Times Square
The Crossover
The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural
Dear Mr. Henshaw
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
Ella Enchanted
The Family Under the Bridge
Feathers
A Fine White Dust
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures
The Forgotten Daughter
It's Like This, Cat
Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley,
And Me, Elizabeth
Abel's Island
All Sail Set: A Romance of the Flying Cloud
Along Came a Dog
The Animal Family
Anpao: An American Indian Odyssey
Banner in the Sky
The Black Cauldron
The Black Pearl
The Bronze Bow
Brown Girl Dreaming
Bud, Not Buddy
By the Shores of Silver Lake
The Bronze Bow
Brown Girl Dreaming
Carver, A Life In Poems
The Cat Who Went to Heaven
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
Criss Cross
A Day on Skates: The Story of a Dutch Picnic
Dead End in Norvelt
Dicey's Song
Dobry
Dogsong
Doll Bones
Dragonwings
Echo
Elijah of Buxton
Everything on a Waffle
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
The Fledgling
The Gammage Cup: A Novel of the Minnipins
Getting Near to Baby
A Girl Named Disaster
The Giver
Author
Martin, Ann M.
Courlander, Harold
Selden, George
Alexander, Kwame
McKissack, Pat
Cleary, Beverly
Farmer, Nancy
Levine, Gail Carson
Carlson, Natalie Savage
Woodson, Jacqueline
Rylant, Cynthia
DiCamillo, Kate
Snedeker, Caroline Dale
Neville, Emily Cheney
Konigsburg, E. L.
Steig, William
Sperry, Armstrong
DeJong, Meindert
Jarrell, Randall
Highwater, Jamake
Ullman, James Ramsey
Alexander, Lloyd
O'Dell, Scott
Speare, Elizabeth George
Woodson, Jacqueline
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Wilder, Laura Ingalls
Speare, Elizabeth George
Woodson, Jacqueline
Nelson, Marilyn
Coatsworth, Elizabeth Jane
Avi
Perkins, Lynne Rae
Van Stockum, Hilda
Gantos, Jack
Voigt, Cynthia
Shannon, Monica
Paulsen, Gary
Black, Holly
Yep, Laurence
Ryan, Pam Munoz
Curtis, Christopher Paul
Horvath, Polly
Kelly, Jacqueline
Langton, Jane
Kendall, Carol
Couloumbis, Audrey
Farmer, Nancy
Lowry, Lois
Newbery Reading List
Grade
5th
5th
5th
5th
5th
Title
Gone-Away Lake
Good Master! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval
Village
Graven Images: Three Stories
The Graveyard Book
Hatchet
Author
Enright, Elizabeth
Schlitz, Laura Amy
Fleischman, Paul
Gaiman, Neil
Paulsen, Gary
Nonfiction Topics
Below are topics to be explored in science or social studies. Your child might enjoy reading non-fiction texts on these topics to
build background knowledge during the summer in order to enhance fall learning.
3rd Grade Topics
Matter & energy
Plano history, community heroes
The water cycle
4th Grade Topics
Blackland prairie, Native American
Indian tribes of Texas, explorers
Volcanoes & earthquakes
Earth & space
Soil, weathering, erosion
Natural resources
Plants & photosynthesis
Weathering & decomposition
Matter & energy
Immigration
Body systems, basic functions
Gravity, friction, magnets
Weather, hurricanes
Using maps
Leadership traits
Free market
How a business operates
Assembly lines
Life cycles
Scientists and inventors
Earth & space
Founding documents of the US
Economics, supply and demand
Inventors & scientists
Regions of Texas
Conductors, insulators, electromagnetic
fields
Texas Revolution, Independence, and
Statehood
5th Grade Topics
Colonial America, Revolutionary War, War of
1812, Westward expansion, Civil War
Great Depression, World Wars
Civil Rights
Fossils, landforms, erosion
Matter & energy – physical properties
Earth, moon & sun – planets & astronauts
Body systems including muscular, skeletal, and
nervous
Ecosystems & life cycles
Electricity
Weather and the water cycle.
Earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods