Great Summer Reads
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Recommended Reading Summer 2019 (Compiled and annotated by elementary school and public librarians in Newton, MA (friends of Ms. Tannenbaum!)) Lists for grades 1-4 Going into 1st Grade The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee (Illustrator) A foolish knight is certain that his side of the wall is the safe side in this clever, amusingly meta picture book by the acclaimed creator of It's Only Stanley There's a wall in the middle of the book, and our hero--a young knight--is sure that the wall protects his side of the book from the dangers of the other side--like an angry tiger and giant rhino, and worst of all, an ogre who would gobble him up in a second! Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed; Stasia Burrington (Illustrator) Inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison. A great bedtime read-aloud. The Patchwork Bike by Maxine Beneba Clarke; Van Thanh Rudd (Illustrator) It has a bent bucket seat, bashed tin-can handlebars, and wood-cut wheels -- and riding the patchwork bike that you and your crazy brothers made is the best fun in the whole village. When you live in a village at the edge of the no-go desert, you need to make your own fun. When's My Birthday? by Julie Fogliano; Christian Robinson (Illustrator) In this enthusiastic celebration of all things BIRTHDAY, acclaimed author Julie Fogliano and award-winning illustrator Christian Robinson bring you the perfect birthday book! Join our excited narrator as she lists all the things that will make her birthday the BEST birthday. The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall; Isabelle Arsenault (Illustrator) Bzzz... What's that? Do you hear it? You're near it. It's closer, it's coming, it's buzzing, it's humming... A BEE! With zooming, vibrant verse by Kirsten Hall and buzzy, beautiful illustrations by Isabelle Arsenault, this celebration of the critically important honeybee is a honey-sweet treasure of a picture book. We Don't Eat Our Classmates! by Ryan T. Higgins (Illustrator) It's the first day of school for Penelope Rex, and she can't wait to meet her classmates. But it's hard to make human friends when they're so darn delicious! The Steves by Morag Hood The bold, brilliantly colored, clever book from the creator of I Am Bat. When puffin Steve meets puffin Steve, neither can believe it. Surely one of them must be the first Steve, the best Steve, the Stevest of Steves...But is a name really worth fighting over? How Tickles Saved Pickles by Maddie Johnson (Photographer) Pickles is a pig, rescued as a wee one and now living it up at his forever home. But one day Pickles becomes very sick. His only hope? One big sow with an even bigger heart on a faraway farm...but will she get to Pickles in time? Learn the true story about one extraordinary pig and his savior in this inspiring photographic picture book! The Very Last Castle by Travis Jonker; Mark Pett (Illustrator) A curious little girl watches the man who guards the last castle in town. Every time she passes by him, she tries to catch his eye. While the other townspeople fear what may be locked up inside the mysterious castle, the girl finally gets up the courage to knock on the door and find out what's really behind the gate. Under My Hijab by Hena Khan; Aaliya Jaleel (Illustrator) Grandma's hijab clasps under her chin. Auntie pins hers up with a whimsical brooch. Jenna puts a sun hat over hers when she hikes. Iman wears a sports hijab for tae kwon do. As a young girl observes the women in her life and how each covers her hair a different way, she dreams of the possibilities in her own future and how she might express her personality through her hijab. The Book That Jake Borrowed by Susan Kralovansky (Illustrator) Jake and his book from the library are placed in one sticky situation after another in this cumulative tale, an original adaptation of the classic There Was an Old Lady. There's the drip, drip, drip, of a jelly mishap that leads to the lick, lick, lick of a lucky rat, whose luck runs out when he's caught by the cat, all before a dog shows up and that's that for the book Jake borrowed from the library! Julián Is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (Illustrator) While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he's seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes -- and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself? Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal (Illustrator) If you ask her, Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela has way too many names: six! How did such a small person wind up with such a large name? Alma turns to Daddy for an answer and learns of Sofia, the grandmother who loved books and flowers; Esperanza, the great-grandmother who longed to travel; José, the grandfather who was an artist; and other namesakes, too. As she hears the story of her name, Alma starts to think it might be a perfect fit after all -- and realizes that she will one day have her own story to tell. Be Kind by Pat Zietlow Miller; Jen Hill (Illustrator) When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her new dress, her classmate contemplates how to make her feel better and what it means to be kind. From asking the new girl to play to standing up for someone being bullied, this moving and thoughtful story explores what a child can do to be kind, and how each act, big or small, can make a difference--or at least help a friend. Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu's delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself? Dreamers by Yuyi Morales In 1994, Yuyi Morales left her home in Xalapa, Mexico and came to the US with her infant son. Yuyi and her son Kelly's passage was not easy, and Yuyi spoke no English whatsoever at the time. But together, they found an unexpected, unbelievable place: the public library. There, book by book, they untangled the language of this strange new land, and learned to make their home within it. Niblet and Ralph by Zachariah OHora Niblet and Ralph may look a lot alike, but they are very different. Niblet loves noshing on crunchy potato chips. Ralph loves putting on headphones and jamming to his favorite records. But both cats have one thing in common- They love being friends and waving to each other from their windows across the courtyard of the apartment building they live in. Neck and Neck by Elise Parsley (Illustrator) Everybody loves Leopold the giraffe. He inspires awe and wonder. His adoring fans gaze and cheer. Best of all, they feed him lots of deeeelicious snacks! But, one day, a shiny, bobble-headed new rival comes in and ruins everything...a giraffe-shaped balloon! Just how far will Leopold go to prove that he's the hero of the zoo? The Field by Baptiste Paul; Jacqueline Alcántara (Illustrator) "Vini! Come! The field calls!" cries a girl as she and her younger brother rouse their community - family, friends, and the local fruit vendor - for a pickup soccer (futbol) game. Boys and girls, young and old, players and spectators come running - bearing balls, shoes, goals, and a love of the sport. Creole words (as spoken in St. Lucia, the author's birthplace island in the Caribbean) add spice to the story and are a strong reminder of the sport's world fame. Soccer fan or not, the call of The Field is irresistible. Thank You, Earth by April Pulley Sayre (Illustrator) Acclaimed children's book author and photographer April Pulley Sayre's love letter to Earth is a stunning exploration of the beauty and complexity of the world around us. Remarkable photographs and a rich, layered text introduce concepts of science, nature, geography, biology, poetry, and community. They Came by Mark Tatulli When a UFO approaches a town, panic ensues:Why did they come?What do they want?Why are they here?The townspeople scramble to secure themselves against the impending invasion. Only Stephen Sprout, the smallish kid from Garnet Lane (who isn't old enough for a two-wheeler and is rumored to sleep with a night-light), looks past the terror engulfing his town to learn the real reason why They Came. Bark in the Park! by Avery Corman; Hyewon Yum (Illustrator) Visit the park with all different kinds of dogs in this charming poetry picture book! Enjoy Avery Corman's canine poetry for an Afghan hound, basset hound, beagle, bloodhound, Daschshund, boxer, greyhound, and more as they stroll with their owners to the park.