Hamden Hall Country Day School 2011 SUMMER READING LIST PreSchool through Grade 3 Fiction – Nonfiction

FICTION

P – Picture B – Beginning Readers C – Books with Chapters S – Series

2011 CALDECOTT AWARD WINNER

A Sick Day for Amos McGee, illustrated by Erin E. Stead, written by Philip C. Stead. According to the American Library Association, “In this tender tale of reciprocity and friendship, zookeeper Amos McGee gets the sniffles and receives a surprise visit from his caring animals.”

1

OUTSTANDING SERIES FOR KIDS!

We Both Read is a series of books written by different authors using an interactive format. The stories ignite interest in reading because the books invite the parent to read the left hand pages. Then, the children read the right hand pages.

Benton, Jim. Franny K. Stein (S) The young heroine is clearly not an average child: she fills her room with bats, snakes and a flying piranha-plus test tubes, beakers and "a whole bunch of crackling electrical gizmos that [she] had made all by herself. Read all the books in this series.

Sage, Angie. Meet Araminta Spooky(S) Meet Araminta! She loves all things spooky! Enjoy her adventures and visit her online.

Meadows, Daisy. Trixie the Halloween Fairy is one book in the Rainbow Magic(S) series. Let yourself be cast by spell of Fairyland and the seven colorful sisters.

FICTION TITLES

Adler, David A. Cam Jansen and the Scary Snake Mystery (C) Cam uses her photographic memory to help catch the slippery criminal.

Adlerman, Daniel. Africa Calling, Nighttime Falling (P) A imagines herself in Africa with lions, elephants, monkeys, rhinos, zebras and other animals.

Arnold, Tedd. Hi! Fly Guy (P) A fly amazes a small boy when it says his name, Buzz. (sequel = Super Fly Guy)

Beaumont, Karen. Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? (P) Mother kangaroo is trying to make cookies, but someone ate all the cookie dough. She asks all the animals only to discover a surprising answer.

Berenstain, Stan & Jan. New Pup (B) You will love the antics of the new pups.

Broach, Elise. Gumption! (P) Young Peter goes on a safari to Africa with his adventuresome, yet clueless, Uncle Nigel as they set out to find the Zimbobo Mountain Gorilla.

Brown, Marcia. Just Five More Minutes (S) It’s Mark’s bedtime but he begs his mom for just five more minutes! When his five minutes are up, he keeps coming up with something new to do that will take him “just five more minutes

Byars, Betsy. Seven Treasure Hunts (C) Jackson and Goat are tricked by Rachel, Goat’s older sister.

2 Bryan, Ashley. Beautiful Blackbird (P) A Zambian folktale of cooperation and communication.

Capucilli, Alyssa. Biscuit Goes To School (B) See what happens when a dog is discovered in school.

Cazet, Denys. Minnie and Moo: The Case of the Missing Jelly Donut (C) Two silly cows wear chicken disguises in order to track down a donut thief.

Chodos-Irvine, Margaret. Ella Sarah Gets Dressed (P) Ella Sarah has definite ideas about what to wear as she puts together some truly outrageous outfits.

Christopher, Matt. Tough to Tackle (C) A tackle wants to play QB, but the coach won't let him.

Cleary, Beverly. Ramona's World (C) Further adventures of Ramona at home and at school.

Clements, Andrew. The Janitor’s Boy (C) The adventures of Jack, the janitor’s son, will give you a new way of looking at chewing gum in school.

Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius (P) How one girl fulfilled her grandfather's wish -"You must do something to make the world more beautiful."

Cronin, Doreen. Diary of a Worm (P) A young worm comments on friendship, family life, school, and his place in the universe.

Dadey, Debbie. Unicorns Don’t Give Sleigh Rides (C, S) Could Mr. Withers at the Bailey stables really be riding a unicorn?

Dahl, Roald. The Twits (C) The Twits are gross and disgusting. You will love them!

DiCamillo, Kate. Tale of Despereaux (C) This is the story of a mouse, a , some soup, and a spool of thread.

Duffey, Betsy. How to Be Cool in the Third Grade (C) Eight year old Robbie York has plans for becoming cool. Rob's story is told with humor and empathy as he discovers that there is more to being cools than having the right name.

Ehlert, Lois. Leaf Man (P) Animals, trees and other natural objects can be seen in the wind-blown leaves.

Feiffer, Jules. Meanwhile (P) “When Raymond's mom calls him, he ignores her, engrossed in his comic book. As she becomes more insistent, the boy notices a boxed word in the middle of the page: MEANWHILE.... If comic books can use a word to change scenes, why can't he? Raymond

3 writes the word on the wall and is instantly transported to a pirate ship where he is forced to walk the plank.” (School Library Journal) Follow Raymond’s adventures and see where he is at the end of the story.

Geisert, Arthur. Lights Out (P) An ingenious piglet invents a “lights out” invention worthy of Rube Goldberg.

Giff, Patricia Reilly. Garbage Juice for Breakfast (C) Detectives Dawn and Lizzie overcome their fears to solve the mystery.

Grey, Mini. Traction Man is Here! (P) A young boy guides his new figure through a series of adventures.

Harris, Robie H. Maybe a Bear Ate It! (P) Imagine you’ve lost your favorite book and then discover that a bear ate it!

Hayashi, Nancy. Cosmic Cousin (C) Follow the clues in book reports, handwriting, and Halloween costumes to solve the mystery.

Hest, Amy. Mr. George Baker (P) A young boy develops a close relationship with an elderly neighbor.

Hill, Susan. Stuart At the Library (B) The library turns out to be anything but peaceful after Stuart meets Bookworm.

Holm, Jennifer L. Puppy Love (C, S) Baby mouse has had her challenges with pets, but she is sure that a dog will be different.

Jeffers, Oliver. The Way Back Home (P) One boy and one alien crash land on the moon. They become friends as they figure out ways to get back to their homes.

Kessler, Leonard. Here Comes the Strikeout! (P) Bobby always struck out until his friend helped him improve his game.

Kinney, Jeff. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (C) A quick humorous read.

Kinsey-Warnock, Natalie. Nora’s Ark (P) Wren and her grandmother welcome 23 neighbors, and many animals, in their high- ground home during the Vermont Flood of 1927.

Lord, Cynthia. Hot Rod Hamster (P) A little hamster creates a hot rod from junk yard parts, and then heads for the 4 Paws Speedway.

MacDonald, Margaret Read. Mabela the Clever (P) An African folk tale about a mouse who pays close attention to the cat.

4 McCarty, Peter. Hondo & Fabian (P) The story of a beach outing for a dog and a full day at home for a cat - a quiet tale of friendship.

McDermott, Gerald. Anansi the Spider (P) The six sons of Anansi, the spider hero of many African tales, combine their special talents to save their father's life.

McDonald, Megan. Stink: Solar System Hero (C, S) Stink starts a campaign to let Pluto back into the Solar System.

McFarland, Lyn Rossiter. Widget (P) Widget’s strategy for fitting in without losing sight of who you are, is seen in this warm, enchanting book of acceptance and individuality.

McGee Kvasnosky, Laura. Zelda and Ivy: The Runaways (S) The popular fox sisters return in this book with three adventures precipitated by their need to avoid the dreaded cucumber sandwiches dad is preparing.

McKay, Sindy. A Pony Named Peanut (S) This fiction story features lots of information on horses. Jessica’s mother has sent her to spend the summer with her aunt and uncle in the country. Jessica doesn’t think that living on a farm, far from a city, will be any fun at all.

Moss, Marissa. Oh Boy, Amelia (C) Ten year old Amelia is studying her older sister, who has a crush on Oliver.

Myers, Laurie. Earthquake in the Third Grade (C) Using an ant farm earthquake as an example in this warm and entertaining story, the author draws a parallel as to how both ants and people must challenge themselves to make the best of unexpected circumstances. Illustrated by Karen Ritz.

Nolan, Lucy. Smarter Than Squirrels (C) Did you ever wonder what your dog thinks about the human world?

O’Connor, Jane. Fancy Nancy Sees Stars (P) “Cute, prancing Nancy is excited about a class trip to the planetarium for a night sky show the cheerful ink-and-watercolor pictures show her in her frilly outfits, thrilled about the Big Dipper, the various constellations, and the earth’s distance from the sun.” Booklist

O’Malley, Kevin. Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude (P) A boy and a girl offer wildly contrasting versions of a fairy tale.

Osborne, Mary Pope. Buffalo for Breakfast (S) Part of the Magic Tree House series.

Parish, Peggy. Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping (B) Amelia Bedelia always has fun camping.

5 Peterson, John. The Littles (C) Tales of a tiny family, only six inches tall, who often end up in giant dilemmas.

Ross, Dev. Frank and the Balloon (S) Rylant, Cynthia. Poppleton (B) Meet Poppleton, the new pig in town. He’s your new “best friend.”

Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret (C) The setting is Paris in 1931. Hugo is a young orphan secretly living in the walls of a train station, where he labors to complete a mysterious invention left by his father. Black & white pencil illustrations evoke the flickering images of the silent films to which the book pays homage.

Seuss, Dr. Hop on Pop (B) “The simplest Seuss for youngest use.”

Sobol, Donald. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective (C) Ten-year-old Leroy Brown opens his own detective agency and solves ten crimes.

Standiford, Natalie. The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto (B) Balto, the lead dog of his sled team, must find his way to deliver medicine to sick children in Nome, Alaska during the worst storm ever. (Step Into Reading series)

Swanson, Susan Marie, The House in the Night (P) This is a quiet, peaceful bedtime story that emphasizes the power of books to spark the imagination.

Thong, Roseanne. Fly Free! (P) Mai longs to see the caged birds at her temple set free. She and her friend, Thu, feed the birds. Their good deed keeps paying forward until finally a grateful father pays to set the caged sparrows free. Set in Vietnam and illustrated beautifully by Eujin Kim Neilan.

Willems, Mo. The Pigeon Wants a Puppy (P) Pigeon is begging for a puppy and promising to take care of it. When the puppy arrives, he changes his mind and asks for a walrus.

Watt, Melanie. Leon the Chameleon (P) Leon never turns the same color as everyone else. When lost in the desert with other baby chameleons, he learns the benefits of being different.

Warner, Gertrude. Box Car Children (S) An adventure series about children who live in a boxcar and solve mysteries.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

6 NON FICTION

P – Picture B – Beginning Readers C – Books with Chapters

Bang, Molly. My Light (P) Dazzling illustrations show how the sun’s energy lights up the world.

Borden, Louise and Kroeger, Mary Kay. Fly High! The Story of Bessie Coleman (P) Bessie Coleman was the first African American to earn a pilot’s license. Her words, “Keep trying! Fly high!” inspire children to higher goals.

Cherson Siegel, Siena. To Dance: A Ballerina’s Graphic Novel(C) This graphic novel dramatizes the struggle and fulfillment of becoming a professional ballerina – lifting the curtain on a dream shared by many young dancers.

Daniels, Teri. Math Man (P) Math problems are interspersed in a fast-paced story of a grocery store .

Ehlert, Lois. Lots of Spots (P) Four-line poems, combined with vibrant illustrations, introduce young readers to a selection of fish, animals, and birds that have distinctive coloring and markings.

Fritz, Jean. Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? (C) A witty look back at American History.

Gelman, Rita Golden. Doodler Doodling (P) Doodling is a creative way to spend a lazy summer afternoon.

Gerstein, Mordicai. The Man Who Walked Between the Towers (P) “This effectively spare, lyrical account chronicles Philippe Petit's tight rope walk between Manhattan's World Trade Center towers in 1974.” Amazon

Gutelle, Andrew. Baseball's Best - Five True Stories (C) Interesting facts and stories related to Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, and Hank Aaron.

Hatkoff, Juliana. Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again (P) A baby dolphin is injured off the coast of Florida in 2005. This is the story of how a team of scientists, veterinarians, and others worked together to give her a prosthetic tail. Documented with photographs.

7 Jenkins, Steve. Prehistoric Actual Size (P) Discusses and gives examples of the size and weight of various animals and parts of animals.

Montgomery, Sy. Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the Cloud Forest of New Guinea (B) Biologist Lisa Dabek and her multinational team search for the beautiful, elusive Matschie’s tree kangaroo in the cloud forests of Papua New Guinea.

McLimans, David. Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet (P) A contemporary interpretation of an illuminated alphabet melds animals and letters into 26 unique and elegant graphic images.

Mitton, Tony. Roaring Rockets (P) Rhyming couplets introduce rocket facts to the very young.

Patent, Dorothy Hinshaw. Horses (C) Nonfiction book about horses with many photos, a glossary, and an index.

Piven, Hanoch. What Presidents Are Made Of (P) Humorous collage portraits, composed of a variety of objects, highlight this collection of presidential trivia.

Rabe, Tish. There’s No Place Like Space: All About Our Solar System (B) Cat in the Hat (along with beloved Thing One and Thing Two) straps on his space suit and rhymes his way among the nine planets, presenting important facts along the way.

Turner, Pamela. Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog (P) The moving story of a canine that was loyal to his master long after the man died.

White, Linda Arms. I Could Do That! : Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote (P) How a determined woman became a pioneer of equal rights for women.

Wiesner, David. Flotsam (P) A vintage camera washed up on the beach provides a young boy with a surprising view of fantastical images from the bottom of the sea. From fish-eye to lens-eye, readers see a frame-by-frame narrative of lush marine landscapes ebbing and flowing from the real to the surreal.

Winter, Jeanette. The Librarian of Basra: A True Story From Iraq (P) A hopeful story of a brave Iraqi woman who risked her life to save thousands of books in the Basra Central Library.

Yoo, Paula. Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story (P) An inspiring picture book biography of the Asian-American gold medal diver.

8