` Campbell Hall

The Ahmanson Library

Reading Suggestions

First and Second Grades

Summer 2004

The staff of the Ahmanson Library invites

you and your child to visit our library this summer.

Check out some of these suggestions

or let us help you find books just right for your family.

Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.

Emilie Buchwald

Buehner, Caralyn. Superdog. HarperCollins Publishers, 2004. Tired of being overlooked because he is so small, a big-hearted dog named Dexter transforms himself into a superhero.

Bunting, Eve. Whales Passing. The Blue Sky Press, 2003. A boy and his father watch from a cliff as a pod of whales surface, leap above the waves, and plunge into the ocean.

*Christopher, Matt. The Dog that Pitched a No-Hitter. Little, Brown, 1993. When Mike’s pitching goes wild, Harry, the amazing Airedale with ESP, finds a hilarious solution to the problem.

Cline-Ransome, Lesa. Major Taylor, Champion Cyclist. Antheneum Books for Young Readers, 2004. Introduces the life of the African-American bicycle racer who won the 1899 World Championship title.

*Corey, Shana. First Graders from Mars, Episode 2: The Problem with Pelly. Scholastic Inc., 2002. Anyone who has ever felt like an alien will immediately relate to Pelly's woes, and cheer at her victorious realization that it's not so bad to be different.

Cronin, Doreen. Diary of a Worm. HarperCollins, 2003. A young worm discovers, day by day, that there are some very good and some not so good things about being a worm in this great big world.

Cottringer, Anne. Brunna. Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2003. Bruna, a girl who lives in a hut all alone, tries everything she can think of to keep from being cold, but nothing works until she discovers the warmth of friendship.

Cox, Judy. My Family Plays Music. Holiday House, 2003. A musical family with talents for playing a variety of instruments enjoys getting together to celebrate.

*Independent reader books

Creech, Sharon. A Fine, Fine School. HarperCollins, 2001. When a principal loves his school so much that he wants the children to attend classes every day of the year, it’s up to his students to show him free time is a good thing, too.

Danneberg, Julie. First Year Letters. Charlesbridge, 2003. Through a series of letters sent to Mrs. Hartwell in the classroom mailbox, we experience the sometimes hilariously funny pleasures and pains of a normal group of kids and an innovative first-year teacher.

*Danzinger, Paula. Get Ready for Second Grade, Amber Brown. Putnam, 2002. Amber is nervous about starting second grade with a new teacher, but despite being in the same class as mean Hannah Burton, things turn out just fine.

David, Lawrence. Superhero Max. A Doubleday Book for Young Readers, 2002. A second-grade boy has trouble fitting in at his new school, until he wears his Captain Crusader costume for Halloween.

Earle, Sylvia. Coral Reefs. National Geographic Society, 2003. The author offers an introduction to coral reefs, including where they are found, how they grow, what lives in them, their importance, and efforts being made to protect and restore them.

Egan, Tim. Serious Farm. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. Framer Fred takes his work very seriously and so do his animals, until they decide they need to make the farm more fun and set out to find a way to make Farmer Fred laugh.

Glaser, Linda. Brilliant Bees. The Millbrook Press. 2003. Simple text and illustrations describe the physical characteristics, habits, and life cycle of the honey bee.

Golenbock, Peter. Hank Aaron: Brave in Every Way. Harcourt, 2001. This is a biography of the Hall of Fame baseball player who broke Babe Ruth’s career home run record.

Greco, Francesca. Gideon. Star Bright Books, 2002. Tired of being ignored by the other animals because they never see him, Gideon the chameleon sets out to find a new home but when he sees a threat to his friends, he returns to try to save them.

Greenstein, Elaine. Ice-Cream Cones For Sale! Scholastic Press, 2003. Reveals who really invented the ice cream cone even before the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair where five people claim they did so.

Henkes, Kevin. Chester’s Way. Morrow, 1988. Chester and Wilson share the same exact way of doing things, until Lilly moves into the neighborhood and shows them that new ways can be just as good.

Holliday, Billie and Arthur Herzog Jr. God Bless the Child. HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2004. A swing spiritual based on the proverb “God blessed the child that’s got his own.”

Howe, James. Horace and Morris Join the Chorus (But What About Dolores?) Atheneum, 2002. Dolores is upset when her friends are chosen to sing in the chorus, but she finds a way to become part of the performance.

*Independent reader books

*Howe, James. Pinky and Rex and the Mean Old Witch. Aladdin Paperbacks, 1991. Pinky, Rex and Amanda plot revenge on the bad-tempered old woman who lives across the street, until Pinky realizes that she is lonely and needs new friends.

Jenkins, Steve. Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. Describes some of the remarkable places on earth, including the hottest, coldest, windiest, snowiest, highest, and deepest.

Jenkins, Steve. What Do You With a Tail Like This? Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Explore the many amazing things animals can do with their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails in this beautifully illustrated interactive guessing book.

*Johnston, Tony. Alien and Possum: Friends No Matter What. Simon & Schuster, 2001. When a spaceship drops out of the sky and a space creature arrives in his woods, Possum makes kindly gestures toward the fearful alien and the two of them become friends.

Kalman, Maira. Smartypants (Pete in School). G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2003. Pete (a dizzy dog) follows Poppy Wise (a plucky girl) to school. Then good things happen resulting in a wild free-for-all with many YUCKS.

Keller, Laurie. Arnie the Doughnut. Henry Holt and Company, 2003. Arnie the talking doughnut convinces Mr. Bing that not all doughnuts are meant to be eaten.

Ketteman, Helen. Bubba, the Cowboy Prince: A Fractured Texas Tale. Scholastic, 1997. Loosely based on “Cinderella,” this story is set in Texas, the fairy godmother is a cow, and the hero, named Bubba, is the stepson of a wicked rancher.

Kleven, Elisa. The Paper Princess Finds Her Way. Dutton Children’s Books, 2003. After the girl who drew her grows older and no longer plays with her, a paper princess lets the wind carry her off to adventures which include a cat, a Christmas tree, butterflies, and a new home.

*Krensky, Stephen. Lionel’s Birthday. Dial, 2003. It’s a time of questions, wishes, and a search for hidden presents as Lionel prepares to celebrate his birthday.

*Laurence, Daniel. Captain and Matey Set Sail. HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. Despite their frequent disagreements, two pirates share many adventures.

Lester, Helen. Hooway for Wodney Wat. Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999. All his classmates make fun of Rodney because he can’t pronounce his name, but it is Rodney’s speech impediment that drives away the class bully.

*Levinson, Nancy Smiler. North Pole, South Pole. Holiday House, 2002. An introduction to the geography, climate, and inhabitants of the polar regions at the top and bottom of the earth where the North Pole and the South pole are located.

*Little, Jean. Emma’s Strange Pet. HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. Emma is allergic to animals with fur, but because she and her brother really want a pet, they decide to try a lizard.

*Independent reader books

*Lobel, Arnold. Frog and Toad Are Friends. HarperCollins Publishers, 1970. Be entertained by the classic, short, delightful tales about best friends Frog and Toad.

McCall, Francis. A Huge Hog is a Big Pig: A Rhyming Word Game. Greenwillow, 2002. A variety of mostly farm animals are introduced with such phrases as a granny nanny, a soggy doggy, and a loose goose.

McDermott, Gerald. Jabutí the Tortoise: A Trickster Tale from the Amazon Rain Forest. Harcourt, 2001. All the birds enjoy the song-like flute music of Jabutí, the tortoise, except Vulture who, jealous because he cannot sing, tricks Jabutí into riding his back toward a festival planned by the King of Heaven.

*Marshall, James. Fox on the Job. Dial, 1988. Fox tries several different jobs to earn money.

McCloskey, Robert. Blueberries for Sal. The Viking Press, 1948. On a summer day in Maine, a little girl and a bear cub wander away from their blueberry-picking mothers and mistake the other mother for their own.

McMillan, Bruce. Jelly Beans for Sale. Scholastic, 1996. This colorful book explains jelly bean manufacturing as well as showing how different combinations of coins are used to buy varying amounts of jellybeans.

*Miller, Sara Swan. Three Stories You Can Read to Your Cat. Houghton Mifflin, 1997. A cat hears three stories about a dull, rainy day, a yummy bug, and a good day of destruction in the house.

Mitchell. Margaree. Uncle Jed’s Barbershop. Simon & Schuster, 1993. Despite serious obstacles and setbacks Sarah Jean’s Uncle Jed, the only black barber in the county, pursues his dream of saving enough money to open his own barbershop.

*Milton. Joyce. Honeybees. Grosset & Dunlap, 2003. Describes the anatomy, behavior, and life cycle of the honeybee, as well as the different kinds of honey that are produced on bee farms.

Nichols, Catherine. Animal Masterminds. Children’s Press, 2003. Describes four highly intelligent animals: Hans, a clever horse; Alex, a parrot who counts and speaks; Washoe, a chimp who uses sign language; and Betty, a crow who uses tools.

Palatini, Margie. Perfect Pet. HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. Elizabeth must pull out all stops to convince Mother and Father to trade in Carolyn, her cactus, for a real pet.

Palatini, Margie. Bad Boys. HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. Two hungry wolves in disguise attempt to raid a sheep farm.

*Parish, Herman. Amelia Bedelia, Bookworm. HarperCollins Publishers, 2003. The literal-minded housekeeper causes chaos at her local library when she stops by to help the librarian.

*Independent reader books

Rappaport, Doreen. Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Hyperion, 2001. This 2003 Caldecott Honor Award winning picture book biography relates the life and times of Martin Luther King, Jr. who used his words in the place of his fists.

Ray, Mary. Welcome, Brown Bird. Harcourt, Inc., 2004. While a boy in North America urges his father not to cut down the trees where the wood thrush lives, a boy in South America awaits the return of the bird that he calls “la flauta” for its flute-like song.

*Silly Stories to Tickle Your Funny Bone. SeaStar Books, 2000. A collection of funny stories by various authors.

*Roberts, Bethany. May Belle and the Ogre. Dutton, 2003. Three easy-to-read short stories describe the funny adventures of an energetic little girl and a furry little ogre.

Rumford, James. Calabash Cat and His Amazing Journey. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. A Calabash cat, living in Africa, sets off to see where the world ends.

*Rylant, Cynthia. The Case of the Fidgety Fox. HarperCollins, 2003. When the fluffy dice of Melvin the bus driver turn up missing, detectives Bunny and Jack investigate the case in their latest adventure.

*Rylant, Cynthia. Mr. Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup. Harcourt Brace, 2003. Mr. Putter and Tabby go to their neighbor’s house to make soup, but Zeke the dog would much rather run than cook.

Scieszka, Jon. The Frog Prince, Continued. Viking, 1991. The author offers a tongue-in-cheek “rest of the story,” telling what happens after the princess kissed the frog.

Sierra, Judy. Counting Crocodiles. Harcourt Brace & Company, 1997. By using her ability to count, a clever monkey outwits the hungry crocodiles that stand between her and a banana tree on another island across the sea.

*Smith, Janice Lee. Jess and the Stinky Cowboys. Dial Books for Young Readers, 2004. When a band of stinky cowboys who refuse to bathe comes to town while the sheriff is away, young Deputy Jess and her aunt, Deputy Gussy, must find a way to enforce the No-Stink law.

*Skofield, James. Detective Dinosaur Lost and Found. HarperCollins Publishers, 1998. After Detective Dinosaur and Officer Pterodactyl find a missing baby and a home for Cadet Kitty, they lose and find each other.

Steig, William. The Amazing Bone. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1976. On her way home from

school, Pearl finds an unusual bone that has unexpected powers.

*Sutcliff, Jane. Jesse Owens. Carolrhoda Books, Inc., 2001. Describes the life of track-and-field athlete Jesse Owens, from his childhood in Alabama and his family’s move to Cleveland to his athletic career which culminated in his winning four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, Germany.

*Independent reader books

*Thomas, Shelley Moore. Get Well, Good Knight. Dutton Children’s Books, 2002. Read this funny book to find out what the Good Knight does to help the three little dragons get well.

*Van Leeuwen, Jean. Amanda Pig and The Awful Scary Monster. Dial, 2003. Amanda the pig sees monsters at night, but her parents and her brother find different ways to convince her that there are no monsters.

Wheeler, Lisa. Sailor Moo, Cow at Sea. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2002.

A dream comes true for Moo and she has adventures with cats and pirates.

Wood, Audrey. The Bunyans. Blue Sky, 1996. Paul Bunyan, his wife, and his children do some ordinary things that result in the formation of Niagara Falls, Bryce Canyon, and other national monuments.

*Yolen, Jane. Commander Toad in Space. Coward-McCann, Inc., 1980. The intrepid crew of the space ship “Star Warts” lands on a water-covered planet inhabited by the Deep Wader, a horrible hungry monster.

Ziefert, Harriet. You Can’t See Your Bones with Binoculars: A Guide to Your 206 Bones. Blue Apple Books, 2003. This introduction to the skeletal system is packed with humorous comparisons and interesting facts. From your head to your toes (from your cranium to your phalanges), … you are sure to have fun and learn a lot!

* Independent reader books

The Ahmanson Library

2004 summer hours

8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

June 14 – July 30, 2004

The Ahmanson Library

2004 - 2005 school year hours

Monday - Thursday

7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Friday

7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Graphic found at:

[read_aloud.] “Talking & Reading Together: About My Reader and Writer, What Parents Can Do.” PBS Parents. [http://www.pbs.org/parents/issuesadvice/talkingandreading/html/ rwriter/read_aloud.html] (Accessed May 12, 2004).