Dear Families:
Reading enhances the skills of students, and it creates unique opportunities for learning, exploring,
and growing. The Shamrock Springs Elementary Reading Program is designed to promote reading and
learning as enjoyable activities. We are excited to announce the 2015-2016 program: Traveling
Through the Pages: A Reading Adventure!
This is a guide to the yearlong program. It includes resources for children and adults, book lists for the
different grade levels, and incentives that can be earned the more children participate. Please choose titles of
interest to your child/ren, and remember; magazines, graphic novels, audio books, and eBooks also provide
valuable educational experiences. The book lists provided are just suggestions, feel free to read anything your
child/ren wish.
It is strongly encouraged that parents read aloud, including to those children who are already
independent readers. In addition to being a wonderful family activity, children increase their
listening vocabulary, which improves their comprehension, and it also allows them to develop
interests beyond their reading levels.
The program begins November 16. If you have any questions, please contact Kelli at
[email protected].
Happy Reading!
PTO & SSES Reading Team
Resources for Reading
Westfield Public Library: http://www.wwpl.lib.in.us/
Amer ican Library Association: http://www.ala.org
Mac Barnett: http://www.macbarnett.com/
A popular author among the students.
Jon Scieszka's Guys Read website: http://www.gu ysread.com/
The popular author of The Time Warp Trio series and Stinky Cheese Man created this website especiall y for
boys who are reluctant readers.
KidsReads: http://www.k idsreads.com/
Kid-friend l y site with book reviews, books made i nto movies, and upcoming titles to be published.
http://pbskids.org/lio ns
This is the we bsite for the show Between the Lions. It has easy to read stories you can read on l i ne (or
printable), and games that go with each story plus more suggestions for stories to check out at the library. Also
Word Games to play on-line or to print out a nd pl ay, and songs and video clips from the show.
htt p://pbskids.org/zoom/
Based on the TV show Zoom, this website has directions for acti vities you can do at home that were featured
on the show. Science, "magic" phenomena, arts and crafts, songs, puppet plays, reci pes and games are
explained wi th easy to follow direct ions to try at home.
http://www.funbrai n.com/brain/Read ingBrai n/ReadingBrain.html
Mad-Libs to fill i n, a nd we b-books and comic books to read on-line.
Reading Is Fundamental: http://www.rif.org/read ingplanet/
You can write stories with other kids around the country, listen to a nd read al ong with stories and songs, draw
like yo ur favorite illustrator, and browse book l ists to fi nd a good book.
Tublebooks: http://www.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/ home tumbl ebooks.asp
Tumblebooks are animated storybooks for youn ger readers. Thi s website also has audio books,
puzzles, and games for children to play as well.
Other great websites for children:
www.scholastic.com
www.eduplace.com
www.discoverykids.com
www.janbrett.com
www.randomhouse.com
www.starfall.com
Websites for Parents:
Common Sense Media: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/mobile-app-lists/best-book -a pps-kids
A trusted source for media recommendations for kids. This link is for the best book apps for kids
recommendations. The apps are rated for learning a nd organized by age grou p.
Reading Rockets: htt p://www.readingrocke ts.org
Tips for parents of kindergarteners, first graders, second graders, and third graders (written in
Engli sh and in ten other languages.) Help your child learn to read and read to l earn.
Look for these books: They provide excellent ideas for children's books.
Great Books for Girls: More Than 600 books to inspire girls and tomorrow's women by Kathleen Odean
Great Books for Boys: More Than 600 books for Boys 2 to 14 by Kathleen Odean
Book Lists (These are just suggestions. Kids may read anything they choose.)
Grades K-3
Title
Au thor
Library Mouse series
Daniel Kirk Marty
McGuire
Kate Messner
Lunch Lady
Jarrett Krosczka
Star of the Week
Caroline Adderson
Gooney Bird
Lois Lowry
The Budd y Files
Dori Hillestad Butler
The Lad ybug Gi rl
David Soman
Nancy Clancy: S uper Sleuth
Jane O'Connor
Frog and Friends
Eve B unting
Sticky Burr
John Lechner
The Flying Beaver Brothers
Maxwell Eaton
Bad Kitty series
Nick Bruel.
Squish
J ennifer L. Holm
Bermy and Penny
Geoffrey Hayes
Dragon Breath
Ursula Vernon
Outstanding Picture Book Authors
J an Brett
Marc Brown
Eve Bunting
Eric Carl e
Lauren Child
Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Peter Brown
Tomie DePaola
Lois Ehlert
Ia n Falconer
Denise Fleming
Ezra Jack Keats
Kevin Hen kes
Pat Hutchins
Eric Kimmel (folktal es)
Leo Lionni
Robert Munsch
Patricia Polacco
Peggy Rathmann
Peter Reynolds
Melanie Watt
H.A. Rey
Rosemary Wells
Dr. Seuss
David Shannon
William Steig
Jan Thomas
Mo Willems
David Adler
Tedd Arnold
Alyssa Capucilli
Den ys Cazet
Doug Cushman
Paula Danziger
Elissa Haden Guest
James Howe
Mary La batt
Arnold Lobel
Peggy Parish
Cynthia R ylant
Cynthia Rylant
Cynthia Rylant
Matjorie Wei nman S harmat
Mo Willems
Beginning
Readers Young Cam Ja nsen (mystery)
Fly G u y
Bi scuit (series)
Minnie and Moo
Inspector Hopper
A is for Amber (series)
Iris and Walter
Houndsley and Catina
Sam (series)
Frog and Toad
Amelia Bedelia (series)
Henr y and Mudge (series)
Poppleton (series)
Puppy Mudge (series)
Nate the Great (mystery series)
Elephant and Piggie
Early Chapter Books and Series Books
Tony Abbott
The Secrets of Droon (fantasy series)
David Adler
Cam Jansen and Bones (mystery series)
Annie Barrows
I vy+ Bean
Marion Dane Bauer
The Blue Ghost
Beverly Cleary
Mouse and the Motorcycle
Kate DiCamillo
Mercy Watson
James Howe
Pinky and Rex (series)
Mary Pope Osborne
Magic Tree House (series)
Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones (series)
J. Prellar
Jigsaw Jones (mystery series)
Ron Roy
A to Z Mysteries (series)
Jon Scieszka
Time Warp Trio (series)
Geronimo Stilton
Geronimo Stilton (seri es)
Various Authors
Sta r Wars
Chari se Mericl e Harper
Just Grace
Betty G. Birney
The World According to Humphrey
Alexander McCall Smith
Harriet Bean
Kimberl y Willis Holt and Christine
Piper Reed
Davenier
Ellen Mi l es
The Puppy Pl ace
Had ley Higginson and Li sa Perrett
Keeker
Jim Arnosky
Selby B. Beeler
Joanna Cole
Douglas Florian
Gail Gibbons
Steve Jenkins
Jack Prelutsky
She! Silverstein
Seymour Simon
Prosek
Baines
Pinnington
Arion
Hickman
Hoberman
Lomas Garza
Skutch
Sweeney
Davies
Guiberson
Halfman
Slade
Maestro
Lev ine
Rappaport
McConnell
Jenkins
Gibbons
Bauer
Lawrence
Davies
Voake
Nic Bi shop
Curlee
Nonfiction Books & Series
Any title
Throw Your Tooth on the Roof
Magic School Bus (series)
Poetry
Any title
Any title
Poetry
Poetry
Any title
Bird, Butterfly, Eel
A Den is a Bed for a Bear
Discover More: Animal Babies; Discover
More: My Body
Discover More: See Me Grow; Discover
More: Penguins; Discover More: Planets
It's Moving Day
All Kinds of Families!
Family Pictures
Who's In a Family?
Me and My Amazing Body
Dolphin Baby
Into the Sea
Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a
Starfish
The House That George Built
The Story of the Statue of Liberty
Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from
the Underground Railroad
Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Me...Jane
Looking Down
The Moon Book; It's Snowing!
Clouds
What is Weather?
Ex treme Animals: The Toughest
Creatures on Earth
Insect Detecti ve
Nic Bishop: Spiders
Brooklyn Bridge
Pinkney
Nivola
N huong
Kamk wamba and Mealer
Bang and Chisholm
Kerley
McNulty
Kelsey
Buller
Jules
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By
Sitting Down
My Father's Village
Water Buffalo Days
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Li ving Sun light: How Plants Bring Light
to Earth
Those Rebels: John and Tom
If You Decide to Go to the Moon
You are Stardust
Smart About the Presidents
Unite or Die: How Thirteen States
Became a Nation
Grades 4 & 5
Author
Auxier
Beha
Beil
Bowen
Christopher
Clements
Cohaga n
Cronin
Curtis
Di onne
Draper
Flores-Gal bis
Frazier
Hiassen
Jacobson
Lai
Lupica
McMa nn
Pennypacker
Pi nk water
R iordan
Simon
Spinelli
Title
Peter Nimble and Hi s Fantastic Eyes
Tango, the Tale of an Island Dog
The Red Blazer Girls: The Vanishi ng V iolin
The Perfect Game
World Cup
We The Children
The Lost Children
The Trou ble with Chickens: A J.J.Tull y Mystery
The Mighty Miss Malone
The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Ham let
Out of my Mind
90 Miles to Havana
The Other Half of my Heart
Chomp
Small as an Elephant
Inside Out and Back Again
Hero
The U n wanted
Su mmer of the Gypsy Moths
The Yggyssey: How Iggy Wondered What Happened
to all the
G hosts,
Out Where
They
Went,
andI Went
The
LostFound
Hero (Heroes
of Ol
ympus,
Book
)
There
Emma on Thin Icing
Jake And Lil y
Tarshis
Vernon
Levine
Scattergood
Potter
Bell
Davies
Potter
Leeds
Blackwood
Palacio
Fitzmaurice
Applegate
Appelt
Avi
A vi
Choldenko
Creech
Curtis
DiCamillo
DiCamillo
Giff
Hale
Henkes
Hiaasen
Holm
Kelly
Law
Levine
Lin
Lisle
McKissack
Nayl or
Park
Philbrick
Preus
Sachar
Schmidt
Spinelli
Staples
Stead
Tolan
Vanderpool
William-Garcia
ISurvived: Hurricane Katrina 2005
Dragon Breath
Lions of Little Rock
Glory B
Wonder
Kepler's Dream
The Bell Bandit
The Humming Room
The Unfortunate Son
Jinx
Navigating Earl y
A Diamond in the Desert
Selected Newbery Award titles
The One and Only Ivan
The Underneath
The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Crispin: The Cross of Lead
Al Capone Does my Shirts
The Wanderer
Bud, Not Buddy
The Tale of Despereaux
Because of Winn-Di x i e
The Pictures of Hollis Woods
Prim:ess Academy
Olive's Ocean
Hoot
Turtle in Paradise
The Evolution of Cal purnia Tate
Savvy
Ella Enchanted
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Afternoon of the Elves
The Dark-thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural
Shiloh
A Single Shard
The Mostly True Adventure of Homer Figg
Heart of a Samurai
Holes
Li zzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Maniac Magee
Shabanu, Daughter of the Wind
When You Reach Me
Survi vi ng the Applewhites
Moon Over Manifes
One Crazy Summer
Woodson
Alvarez, Juli a
Anderson, M.T.
Balliett, Blue
Birdsell, Jeanne
Bryant, Annie
Clements, Andrew
Corbett, S.
Creech, Sharon
Davies, J
DiCamillo
Dowd, S
Feldman
Feinstein, John
Fitzmaurice
French
Gidwditz
Haddix
Haddix
Henkes, Kevin
Hiaasen, Carl
Hobbs, Will
Kadohata
Klages
Konigsburg, E. L.
Korman, G
Lupica
Naylor
O'Connor
Oppel, Kenneth
Paterson
Paulsen, Gary
Philbrick , W.
Riordan
Ritter, Jon
Ryan
Schmidt
Slote, Alfred
Smith, Roland
Smith, Roland
Spinell i, Jerry
Stein
Tolan
Van Draanen, W.
Weston
Show Way
Adventure, Realistic Fiction, Sports, Mystery
How Tia Lola Came to Stay
Whales on Stilts
Chasing Vermeer; The Wright Three; The Calder Effect
The Penderwicks
Beacon Street Girls
A Week in the Woods; No Talking
Free Baseball
Heartbeat; Hate That Cat
The Lemonade War; The Lemonade Crime
The Magician's Elephant
The London Eye Mystery
The Gollywhopper Games
Last Shot: A Final Four Mystery
The Year the Swallows Came Early
Operation Redwood
A Tale Dark and Grimm
Found (The Missing, Book I )
Double Identity
Olive's Ocean
Hoot; Flush; Scat; Chomp
Jason's Gold
Weedflower
The Green G lass Sea
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Swindle
The Big Field
Em i l y's Fortune
How To Steal a Dog
Starclimber (Part of a series)
Bread and Roses Too
Voyage of the Frog
The Young Man and the Sea
The Red Pyramid; The Throne of Fire; The Lost Hero
The Boy Who Saved Baseball
Paint the Wind
Okay for Now
The Trading Game
Independence Hall (Book # l)
Th under Cave
Stargirl
Racing in the Rain: My life as a dog
Listen!
Shredderman: Secret Identity
Zorgamazoo
Clements, Andrew
Davies, Jacqueline
Ha nnigan, Katherine
Hiaasen, Carl
Lai
Pennypacker
Selznick, Brian
Smith
Stein, Garth
Stevens, John
Troublema ker
The Lemonade Crime
True (Sort of…)
Chomp
I nside out a nd Back Again (Newbery Honor)
Clementine and the Famil y Meeting
Wonderstruck
Aliens on Vacation
Racing i n the Rain: M y Li fe as a Dog- student ve rsion
The Emerald Atlas
Birney, Betty
Burnford, Shelia
Fan, A my
George, Jean Craighead
Ghent, N
Harlow, Jean
Henry, Marguerite
Martin, Ann
O'Ha ra, Mary
Oppel , Ken
Ryan, Pam
Sewell, A nna
Animal Stories
The World According to Humpluoey
Incredible Journey
Sword bi rd
There's an Owl in the Shower
No Small Thing
Thunder From the Sea
Mi sty
A Dog's Life: Auto biography of a Stray
My Friend Flicka
Sil verwi ng
Pai nt the Wind
Black Beauty
Avi
Bri nk, Carol
Curtis, Paul
Dubie, K . B.
Hesse, Karen
Hol m, Jen n i fer
Kadohata
Karowsk i
Kinsey-Warnock, Natal ie
Krensky, Stephen
Osborne, Mary Pope
Rinaldi, A nn
Ryan, Pam Munoz
Whelan, G lori a
Anhalt, La urence
Babbi t, Natalie
Bauer, J oan
Colfe r, Eoi n
Historical Fiction
Iron Thunder: The Battl e bet ween the Monitor and the
Merrimack
Caddie Woodl awn
The Watsons Go to Bi rmingham
The Sacrifice
Stowaway
Boston Jane
Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam
Quake: Disaster in Sa n Francisco, 1906
G i ft from the Sea
The Pri nter's Apprenti ce
Ade line Falling Sta r
The Fi fth of March
Espera nza Rising
A ngel on the Square
Just for Fun/Humor
Shampoozel: Seriousl y Fun ny S tories
Jack Plan k Te lls Tal es
Sq uashed
The Legend of Spud M urphy
Fitzgerald, John
Gutma n, Dan
Lowry, Lois
Lubar, David
Maguire
Naylor, Phyllis
Robinson, Barbara
Sachar, Louis
The Great Brain
Mrs. Roopy i s Loopy; The Homework Machine
Gooney Bi rd G reene
Punished!
Leaping Beauty, and other Animal Fai ry Tales
The Grand Escape
The Best School Year Ever
Sideways Stories from Wayside School
Popular Non-fiction
Markie, Sandra
The Case of the Vani shing Golden Frogs: A Scientific M ystery
Bishop, N ic
N ic Bishop: Marsupials
Murphy, Jim
The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American
Revolution; The Giant and How He Humbugged America;
Blizzard!
Brindell Fraden, Dennis
The Signers: The 56 Stories Behind the Declarat ion of
Independence
Cole, Joa nna
The Magic School Bus and the Cli mate Challenge
Bang and Chishol m
Ocean Sunlight
Si nger, Mari l yn
A Strange Place to Call Home
Arnol d
A Warmer World: From Polar Bears to Butterfli es, How
Cli mate Cha nge Affects Wi ldli fe
Sy Montgomery and Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin: How t he Girl Who Loved Cows E mbraced
Autism and Changed the World
Freed man
The Voice That Challenged the Nation: Marian A nderson a nd
the Struggle for Equal Rights
Wi nter
You Never Heard of Sand y Koufax?
Ch i n
Coral Reefs
Yeserski
Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survi val Story
Rumford
Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave H is People Writ i ng
Kerley
What to Do About A l ice? How A l ice Roosevelt Broke the
Ru les, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy
Crazy!
Agui la r
1 3 Planets: The Latest V iew of the Sol a r System
Sly
Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet
Goldsmith
Earth: The Life of Our Planet
Carson
I nsi de Tornadoes
Libbrecht
The Secret Li fe of a Snowflake
Incentives
Trimester Rewards:
For the first Trimester the goal is reached, students will have their name displayed on the
recognition bulletin board.
For the second trimester the goal is reached, students will have their names printed in the school
newsletter and a stamp added to the bulletin board.
End of the Year:
Students that reach 2 of 2 goals will earn $5 in book fair bucks.
Other Incentive:
Students submitting points each month will be randomly selected to recommend books for the
library. One winner will be chosen each month from each grade level. The winners will select
their favorite book for display/recommendation in the library.
School Wide Incentive:
A school-wide goal will be set for the year. If the goal is met, all students may dress up like their
favorite book character on a selected day in the spring. To reach the goal, 80% of Shamrock
Springs students must reach 2 of 2 goals.
The goal is for each student to earn 25 points each trimester – 25 books or chapters.
Program Begins – November 16
End of Trimester 2 – March 4
Trimester 3 Begins – March 7
End of Program – May 13
Completed writings, drawings, art projects (see below), and point sheets may be submitted
to the green box outside of the PTO room. Please make sure your child’s name, teacher’s
name, and grade level are included.
Earning Points
One problem with reading incentive programs is participants try to earn prizes quickly by
skimming the books instead of reading them. The best incentive program requires kids to
demonstrate comprehension of the books they’ve read.
How does it work? Students, with the help of their parents, siblings, and book buddies, will be
asked to keep track of the books they have read or were read to. All students are invited to
participate. They can read chapter books, picture books, magazines, newspapers, eBooks –
everything counts. Even books read at school can be counted toward points.
Kindergarten and First Grade Students
Kindergarten and first grade students may read a book independently or have books read to them.
To earn points, they may complete a writing activity or drawing activity. The students may count
books read with their school book buddies as well.
Kindergarten-First Grade Writing Activity:
On a piece of paper, students may write or dictate to an adult the answers to these questions:
1. What 3 things would you tell a friend about this book?
2. Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why?
Kindergarten-First Grade Drawing Activity:
On a piece of paper, draw your favorite part of the story. Label as much of the drawing as
possible or write a sentence or two.
Second-Fourth Grade Students
Students may complete a BAM/POW letter or the art activity. Each chapter counts toward the
point goal. To earn points for chapter books, students may complete a BAM/POW letter at the
end of each chapter or an art project at the end of the book.
Second-Fourth Grade BAM/POW:
For each book, students should pick one letter and complete the activity. For the first book, they
should do “B”; for the second, “A”; for the third, “M”; for the fourth, “P”; for the fifth, “O”; for
the sixth, “W”. They will then repeat the process.
On a piece of paper, students may write
B: Before. Before reading each chapter, make a prediction.
A: After. After reading each chapter, was your prediction correct? Did you want to change
your prediction while reading?
M: Me. How does this book connect to my life?
P: Problem. What was the problem in the book and how was it solved?
O: Opinion. Write about one time you agreed or disagreed with a choice the author made.
W: Words. 5 new or interesting words I learned and the definitions.
Second-Fourth Grade Art Project:
You will need: a folder; paper; pencil, crayons or colored pencils; glue
Please decorate the front of the folder including the title, author, your name and a colorful picture that
goes with the book. You may print a picture of the book cover and glue that on if you wish. If you are
using a colored folder, please glue a blank white page to the front of the folder and decorate the
blank page. Do not color on the folder as it will be hard for people to read.
On the inside of the folder, glue a one page summery on the left, and on the right, include
3 things you would tell a friend about the book and if you would recommend it and
why.